Relight the flame
by Pernshinigami
Summary: cross w bleach and all things dr. who yaoi IchiByaRen Aizen sends Hollows to Cardiff to scavange alien tech, with a reluctant Ichigo tries to stop them only to be laid low by Grimmjow! As Aizen's forces spread over the Brittish Isles, they come nose to no
1. Chapter 1

This is an mighty bleach crossover with all things Doctor WHO! (laughs insanely)

Aizen sends Hollows to Cardiff to scavange alien tech, with a reluctant Ichigo tries to stop them only to be laid low by Grimmjow! As Aizen's forces spread over the Brittish Isles, they come nose to nose with the Doctor's companions. Can Jack save Ichi? And will Orihime be the next Companion?

I'm leading into something with Orihime being rescued by Rose waaaaay back when the 9th Doctor was around!! Don't worry! If you think this fic is worthy of more AWESOMENESS then REVIEW! You will get hot smexy ByaIchiRenji action!!

* * *

Ichigo sputtered irritably when the Commander General handed him the tiny sealed bit of parchment. "We have to troop ourselves all the way out to Cardiff. REALLY??" Ichigo sputtered, with severe difficulty controlling his outrage.

"Aizen has sent Gin out to investigate an interdimensional phenomena in the City known as Cardiff. There are ESPADA coming with him Ichigo." Yamamoto said sharply. "We need a guide to the world of the living, and Aizen will be desprate to build up his forces after the Rescue of Orihime. Your human friends need to rest from the ordeal. Rukia and Renji are fully healed and looking for a change of pace. Others will be coming to help you."

"I'm not going. My sisters need me to protect them, my father too. In case you haven't forgotten, there's a WAR this winter! And Aizen is going to blow up my home TOWN." Ichigo ground out.

"I assure you Kurosaki, if there is the chance that Karakura will be taken, we will do our best to evacuate your family AND your friends. I assure you that your success has caused considerable collateral damage, but I fear you fail to grasp the enormity of your actions. With just FIVE men, including yourself, two of them humans, you did almost fifty percent damage to Hueco Mundo. The Captains that removed you and your friends were able to raise that ratio to 75 percent. Aizen is minus his 9th, his 7th, his 5th, his 8th Espada. FOUR out of the ten are dead, GONE!" Yamamoto emphasized this with a tap of his staff. "Your talent is exceptional!" He growled. "Rest assured that your efforts have pushed Aizen's progress back considerably. You recover a lot faster than your human partners, frankly your healtime /scares/ Unohana. You were torn to pieces three times during that battle, and only underwent healing magic once during the entire siege."

"I'm NOT your lapdog." Ichigo declared, glaring defiantly at Yamamoto. He turned around and prepared to storm out. "In case you haven't figured it out, I'm not in any division, and as long as I'm still ALIVE you're not my keeper!!"

"your father said the same thing." Genryuusai said quietly.

"What?" Ichigo stopped at the door.

"Right before he stormed out and away, and went to marry a beautiful woman named Masaki. When he had a son, and two gorgeous daughters..."

"Are you telling me, that my father knew this entire time? He KNEW about hollows??"

"He tried desperately to forget. He couldn't take it anymore. When you were born he sealed his shinigami powers away for good. He swore, never again. He's a good father. By the time you met Rukia, he couldn't even see hollows anymore, let alone shinigami. And then he heard that you had confronted Grand Fisher. He could smell hollow on your riatsu a mile away, it took Urahara to convince him to get his powers back."

Ichigo listened, silent.

"He made a BIG sacrifice for you, he will take care of your sisters in your absence. Sado will take over for you when he's recovered."

"You lay a claw on Chad and I will KILL YOU." Ichigo glared angrily. "I'll go. Make sure they're shinigami that I know." Ichigo glared. "But I am not your slave. I am not your servant. I work independantly from you. You do NOT own me and I am NOT your lapdog." (1)

"Alright... Ichigo Kurosaki." Smiled Yamamoto. "Your team awaits outside. I'm sure you won't have any trouble with them."

Ichigo growled, turning as the door opened.

"Ichigo." Rukia said with a warm smile. Ichigo ran over to them, throwing his arms around Renji. Rukia muttered quietly, rubbing the substitute's back in comfort. "Its okay, Ichigo. He's not used to strangers, we haven't had a deputy as accomplished as you in centuries. He wants you on his side, he just has a strange way of asking it." Ichigo let go, nodding. Taking a deep breath, he took in the company, Rukia and Renji! Matsumoto was a good choice, she was very interested in human culture.

"BYAKUYA??" Ichigo groaned. "Oh its going to be a long trip."

"Is there a problem Kurosaki?" Byakuya growled.

"Yes... there is." Ichigo's face turned red, and started to twitch. "But I suppose I'll have to deal."

* * *

"Come on Kurosaki!" Grimmjow growled, another punch hit Ichigo in the gut. "Not so TOUGH now that you're in the living world are you??"

On assignment in Cardiff, dark night, teeny alley. It was misty and cold and drizzling. It was the worst possible of nights to be caught by a randy Espada in a dark alley. Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo by the jaw, hauling him into a kiss that Ichigo thought was going to break his head in half.

When he was released, Ichigo gasped out. "RUKIA!! RENJI!! HELP!!"

"Your puny friends are a MILE away! You feel their spiritual pressure, they're GONE! Oooooh, and I'm going to show you EXACTLY what it feels like to lose a FUCKING ARM!" Grimmjow punched Ichigo, this time sending him flying out of the alley.

Ichigo screamed. "RUKIA!!"

"RUKIA, RUKIA!!" Grimmjow mocked. "Your prissy little girlfriend can't help you NOW!" Ichigo found himself kicked to the ribs. "Who's so powerful /now/ Kurosaki?" Ichigo felt something slice his pants off.

Not here, not so far from home... "Oh hell... RENJIIII!! RENJI HE..." HURK! Leg, he stomped on Ichigo's leg. Ichigo screamed in agony.

Then suddenly...

"Where is it Tosh?"

"This way, to the right! Gwen are you reading this?"

"We're coming up from the other direction..." A woman's voice said. "Owen and I are armed."

"You lucked out human... I was told to avoid being seen. But I'll leave you... with a parting gift." Grimmjow sneered. Ichigo screamed as Grimmjow raked his claws down Ichigo's back in a universal hollow claim mark. The mark claimed Ichigo as Grimmjow's property, for mating or for hunting, as the Espada wished.

A kick and Ichigo went flying backwards. "See you later SUBSTITUTE!"

Ichigo collided with something soft, then he blacked out and Grimmjow fled.

* * *

It is not every day a half naked man is flung into your arms. Bloody, battered, broken, but half naked. If only he'd been conscious. But the flaming oranghaired young man was flung, bodily, into his arms. "Hooooo boy!" Jack braced the young man's fall. "Owen! OWEEEEN! OVER HERE WE'VE GOT INJURIES!"

The medic ran over, checking pulse and breathing. "He's alive, we can treat him at the hub. But he needs someplace safe." Owen and Ianto manuvered Ichigo into the truck. Owen sat with him. "its a miracle he's still alive. Leg crushed, crap beaten out of him by who knows what. The bruise from being punched is the size of a small ham. And those clawmarks are going to leave permanent scarring."

"Renji..." Ichigo groaned. "Renji... please..." His breath hitched. "G... Grimmj... ow... die... espa...da." He fell into deeper unconsciousness. "Z... zanget... tsu..."

"Hang in there..."

"Zangetsu, that's a Japanese name. Not one I've ever heard though." Toshiko was in the passengerseat. "When we get him back I'll Search in the database."

"We've got a better lead than that Toshi. Grimmjow, die." Jack repeated. "he just named his attacker."

Gwen was at the wheel. "Something tells me though, that this wasn't done by your run of the mill weevil."

Owen yelped in alarm and pointed. "JACK!"

"What just happened?"

"Dunno, but his outfit changed. Look." Ordinary clothes had faded out of exsitance. It was, unknown to Ichigo's torchwood rescuers, a new trick by Urahara. It would, if mastered, allow Ichigo to use his shinigami powers in his human body. "Doesn't look like your run of the mill kimono, but Tosh was..." Owen broke off. "oh hey now..."

Deep dark black energy wreathed Ichigo's form, which dissipated just as quickly. Jack /did/ catch it in the rearview, turning around to see the last of the black and red glow disappear. Owen moved in the instant the last of it was gone. "Amazin..."

"What is it?"

"His wounds just closed over, just like that. The broken bones and internal damage is still there but... his body is repairing itself." Owen eyed Ichigo carefully, taking pulse and breathing. "Exept for the clawmarks on his back, his wounds have closed over."

"Then we need to get back to the hub quick."

* * *

It was cold, it was dark. But he was in a bed, that much he could feel. "Renji?" Ichigo croaked out weakly. "Rukia?"

"Sorry, they're not here." Ichigo recognized the accent, American. A man's voice.

"Wonderful. I wake up expecting Unohana's hospitality or Szayel's torture chamber, which is crazy cause Szayel's dead..." He drooped. "Sorry, i'm too tired to move much..."

"Its no problem." The voice above him told him. "Who's Grimmjow? You were calling for him while you were unconscious."

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, the guy who beat the crap out of me." Ichigo groaned.

"I'll say, raked his claws down your..."

"SAY any of that to my friends and I'll rip out your voicebox." Ichigo hissed. "He tried to kiss me and nearly broke my jaw. If you hadn't come along I'd probably have been... ravaged and beaten to death." He kept his eyes closed, too tired to move very much.

There was a pitying silence. "The Espada, who are they?"

"Its completely crazy, you wouldn't believe me." Ichigo said quietly. "Most people I have to actually show them proof for them to believe me."

"I promise, I'll believe you." A reassuring hand touched the top of his head. "I deal with the paranormal. Its my job to believe it."

"You can't beat Grimmjow..." Ichigo groaned. "You need to find my team. Rukia will be worried sick."

"We'll look for them, what's going on? Please, tell me." Jack said gently.

"I am a shinigami, well, a half breed shinigami." Ichigo explained. "We exist for two purposes, to help the souls of the dead pass on, and to defeat hollows and other evil spirits. Our biggest enemies are hollows, the souls of humans whos attachment to the living world transformed them into monsters. By slaying a hollow, it passes on to the next life. Because of that we're also known as balencers, we balence the souls of the living and dead.

"The shinigami military is divided into 13 divisions, each with a captain and a lieutenant, but recently 3 of our best captains committed treason and stole a powerful weapon known as the Hyougyoku. Their escape and defection caused heavy damage to the Soul Society, where the shinigami live and the souls of the dead gather. Aizen wants to ascend to heaven and kill the King of the shinigami, but in order to do it he needs to make the King's Key, which requires 10,000 souls and the reishi infused in 10,000 spirit acres. He wants to slaughter my entire hometown just to make one key." Ichigo groaned. His head hurt, and he didn't want to explain all of this right then.

"Aizen thought that he could kidnap my friend Orihime, she has a healing ability unmatched by any medical shinigami ever to practice in Soul Society. He figured out how to use it to amplify the Hogyouku, it would have allowed him to create the King's Key sooner. The leader of the shinigami, Yamamoto Genyuusai was willing to leave her there. He thought that Orihime had betrayed us. I couldn't believe it, I convinced my friends Uryu and Sado, and two of my shinigami friends Renji and Rukia to help me rescue her. When they heard what was going on, Yamamoto sent four shinigami captains to come rescue us. In the ensuing melee four of Aizen's strongest underlings, the Espada, died. Aizen's army is made up of arrancar, evolved hollows. The ten strongest arrancar are the Espada. Aside from weird hair and eyes, masks or armor plates on their bodies, and the hole somewhere on their torso, the Arrancar look human. By killing 4 Espada and causing massive damage to Aizen's fortress we put him way behind schedule. But he still possesses the Hogyouku.

"Yamamoto discovered that Aizen had found an area with a history of strange phenomena, here in Cardiff. Aizen had sent his mate Gin and three of the remaining Espada to the area to investigate. They're looking for any kind of technology that might help Aizen recover the strength of his army and speed his progress in creating the King's Key. Yamamoto picked me and four others to come help drive Gin and his Espada away." Ichigo finished his story. "I went out for air and Grimmjow tried to... errrr..." Ichigo blushed furiously. "Please! If you can find Rukia, and Renji, can you tell them where I am?" he asked desperately.

"Sure." Jack said cheerfully. "I'll need to brief my team too."

"You'll hurt yourselves trying!" Ichigo protested. "Gin will slaughter you! He's sadistic, he'll torture you and kill you!" Ichigo shivered. "And not just anyone can take down an Espada. I don't know what kind of powers your team has, some humans possess the ability to kill hollows, but NEVER arrancar. Sado tried, Uryu tried, both of them got their butts kicked. Uryu nearly got his organs crushed from the inside because of the magic one of the Espada used when it caught him! Rukia almost died slaying Arleri! And Ulquiorra... Ulquiorra stopped one of my techniques with two fingers. They'll slaughter you!"

"I'm kinda hard to kill." Jack said with an impish grin. "Its our town! We have a right to defend it." He said fervently. "Don't worry, we're tougher than you think." He said with a reassuring smile. "Your friends, how do we find them?"

"Aaaah, Rukia has short black hair and deep blue eyes, she's Byakuya's little sister. She's very petit, but she's got a hot temper. You'll know Renji right off, he's got surfer boy style tattoos all over him, face, neck, body. And his hair is red, I mean /scarlet/ red. It makes him look kinda... well... hot." A smile curled Ichigo's lips. "Byakuya is tall and quiet, black hair and deep blue eyes. He's got a really unique hairpiece, its a sign of leadership in his clan. Its kinda silver and ties on the left side of his head. Matsumoto is... REALLY hard to miss. She's got this long curly honey blonde hair, and REALLY big breasts. And she's a bit of a flirt, she enjoys taunting her captain. She's the kind of woman that smothers you when she hugs you. It drives her captain Hitsugaya crazy. Once she actually tied pink ribbons in his hair. (2) She was teasing him but... heh, ever see snow in July? Aaaah... and she loves shopping for human clothes. You'll probably find her near the mall with Rukia." Ichigo felt his strength starting to ebb.

**Ichigo, you need to rest more.**Zangetsu warned him. **It will be awhile before you're back to full strength, your rescuers are trustworthy.**

Jack was standing to go. "Alright, I'll see if I can find them. A bunch like that should be hard to miss." He said with a chuckle.

"Wait!" Ichigo said quickly. "If you find a hollow, if you're eaten, you'll become a hollow too. They have only ONE weakspot! The mask on their face. If you break their mask, you'll slay them and they'll go over to the other side." Ichigo told Jack quickly. "I don't know if that'll be of any use to you... I don't know how strong your weapons are but..."

"Thanks... I'm Jack, Jack Harkness, you?"

"Ichigo... Ichigo Kurosaki. and it DOESNT mean strawberry." He added hurriedly.

* * *

"And he's been gone for two days?" Karin asked worriedly over cellphone. "That's not like him Rukia. Ichigo disappears all the time, but he wouldn't just run off on something like this."

"I know, that's what worries me." Rukia and Matsumoto were at the mall with Renji. Rukia had called Karin. After learning that Karin could see shinigami, Ichigo decided it was better to introduce her to some of the shinigami closest to him so that she could ask them for help if a hollow came. Karin and Rukia made fast friends, already knowing each other very well from Rukia's previous stays at the Kurosaki household. "He was seriously pissed off at Yamamoto for making him come out here, but its not like him to just disappear."

"If I hear from him, I'll call you. But something is definately wrong." Rukia hung up and sighed, moving over to where Matsumoto was eyeing the dresses in one of the stores. "RUKIA! You NEED to get that one! You'd look so cute in it!"

"Yeah, but Uryu made this just for me." Rukia pointed out the dress she was wearing. "Its good luck to wear a gift someone made for you." The dress was pink and red. Rukia liked red, but not pink, and that dress was, to her, HIDEOUS.

"Oh come on! Hey Reeeennjiiiiiii! Look at that outfit! You'd look so much better in that!" Matsumoto squealed. "COME ON!" She tugged on Renji's arm. "When Ichigo comes back you'll look SO cute! You'll be completely irrisistable."

"Oh fine!" Renji rolled his eyes. Matsumoto had her way, and pretty soon Renji had exchanged his hawaiian shirt for a burgundy cotton button up shirt and tight black jeans. Matsumoto added another surprise, a long black leather trenchcoat with scarlet lining.

"I look like a... a... a..." Renji stammered as he looked over the coat, tugging the edges curiously here and there. "I look like a dork!" He whined, turning back and forth. "This is like a captain's coat. It even flows like one!"

"you do not look like a DORK." Matsumoto hissed. "Rukia how does he look."

"its not an outfit that says Renji, though it is attractive." Hint hint, maybe she could say she had to go to the restroom, then run. Rukia LOVED Rangiku, in a friend way, but she needed to stop dressing people up like dolls.

"Hmph," Renji huffed, nose in the air.

Matsumoto looked desperately around for some form of vindication. She found a pair of women and a rather, drawn faced man gathered near one of the soda machines. "Excuse me, my friend here doesn't believe me... ladies does he look hot in that outfit?"

The gaunt faced man grimaced. "I'll back out of that." Renji quickly turned red and waved timidly.

"You should dress him in something from Pacific Sun." One of the women, with a local accent and short black hair, replied.

The other chuckled, her japanese accent plain to Matsumoto. "He does look kinda cute, but it would look better on Owen over here."

"Ooooooooh, are you taking him shopping? I can't convince my friend Rukia here to get a new dress. Renji at least was willing to try the new look." Matsumoto batted her lashes, and her winning grin was turned on Owen. "She needs a new dress right? I can't get her to..."

"I don't care." The man, Owen appearantly replied.

"Owen's a little shy." The woman with the Japanese accent said with a smirk. "I've been dating him for weeks, he's far too much a gentleman."

Rukia and Renji had joined them. "My friend Uryu made this for me. Its good luck to wear it." Rukia insisted. Anything but the pink monstrosity Rangiku wanted her to wear.

"It would be rude then not to..." The Japanese woman replied. "I'm Toshiko, these are Gwen and Owen. Its nice to meet you."

Rukia sighed and Matsumoto squealed. "Your boyfriend has such a cute name! I'm Rangiku, these are Rukia and Renji." Renji seemed to have very little interest in the coversation. Rukia was shyer than Rangiku, and just let her work out her flirty, gossipy... girly... business.

Gwen edged closer to Owen and whispered. "You think these are the ones Jack was looking for."

Owen replied, as Toshiko kept Rangiku busy. "Dunno, they do stand out a lot."

Renji's beeper went off. "Rangiku! Rukia!" He called, indicating the cellphone. "We need to go! Its an emergency, and a big one."

Rangiku all but bubbled as she tugged Rukia off. "We gotta go, we're in town on business and we just got paged by our boss. See you!"

Gwen was surprised at the speed with which all three ran off into the crowd. "We'd better follow them."

"Yeah..." Owen dialed Jack on his cellphone. "Jack, we think we may have found Ichigo's team members. But they just got a text on one of their cellphones and ran off."

"Follow them, they're probably going after a hollow. If they are, try to clear the area as best you can. Don't make a move on it unless it seems like they can't kill it. This is our town, we have to do our duty, but its their fight, they know the bad guys. We need to try and make friends with them as best we can."

They made it to the parking lot, and they met the oddest sight they'd seen yet, and for Torchwood that's big. "Its not just a hollow, its an adjuchas." Renji groaned. "Those are cropping up everywhere at Karakura lately, but here in Wales?"

"A hollow is a hollow wherever it is." Rukia readied a small object in her hands. "On three."

"yeah!" The adjuchas was a massive black monster. It looked like a low slung bull, even snorting smoke out of its bonelike white mask. It had a hole in about the middle of its chest, but its tail and back were the oddest parts about it. Its tail resembled a dinosaur's, complete with spiked club. It had razor sharp spines along its back as well.

"hmmmmm, well well well... I didn't think I'd find some soul reapers out here... you guys should make a yummy snack. I was expecting slim pickins, but it seems like most of the humans in this town have a pretty yummy flavor."

"Jerk." Matsumoto snorted. "I was enjoying my trip."

"Then lets get together baby, you can be lunch." The hollow growled, charging.

"NOW!" Rukia roared, flicking what looked like a candy bottle open. All three swallowed something, there was a 'bong' noise and suddenly it looked like there were two of each of them. "Chappy, take our gigai out of range of the battle and clear as many civillians as you can from the immedaite area. We're visitors here, we need to be respectful."

"Looks like great minds think alike." Owen muttered as the trio pulled out of sight. "Doesn't look like there are any people around either, aside from trucks coming in with frieght this part of the parking lot is abandoned."

"I think I figured it out... those bodies we saw, they were shells." Gwen whispered. "They used whatever that was they swallowed to leave their shells, but they had to leave something behind. Probably some kind of autopilot."

"LOOK!" Rukia raised a long, delicate looking sword, "Dance! Sode no Shirayuki!" The blade changed, it was subtle, but it lengthened and a bell on a ribbon appeared on the end.

"ROAR! ZABIMARU!" Renji also drew a sword, which changed into a segmented weapon with several fanglike protrusions.

"GROWL HAINEKO!!" Rangiku yelled. Her blade simply disappeared, dissolving into a white ashlike dust that sparkled as it shifted and flowed around her.

Toshiko dug into her bag, pulling out some kind of camera. "I rigged this to take video. It will hold up to 30 minutes without having to save the footage to another storage device and its calibrated so that I can analyze the footage back at the Hub." She handed it to Gwen. "Owen and I will split up and take a look around. FILM THIS!" She insisted.

Rukia leapt into battle. "Second Dance! Hakuren!" A spire of ice shot towards the adjuchas. The hollow snickered, swatting at the ice with its tail. A little got stuck on the end, but her attack was almost completely negated.

Renji made a whipping motion with his sword, which extended like a whip and slashed at the hollow's forelimb, knocking it off. "RUKIA NOW!"

"I'll tie him down!" Rangiku added, the sparkling dust flying forwards to grind into the hollow's eyes, then formed a noose around its neck.

"FIRST DANCE, Tsukishiro!" A wave of white spread out from the area around Rukia. Renji and Rangiku leapt out of the way just in time. The ice froze up the hollow's legs, engulfing most of its body.

Renji began to attack in earnest, lashing out at the hollow's mask. "Its not working."

"Hey, stupid soul reaper. My head is hard as a rock! You can't break me as easily as you would your average hollow!" The bull hollow thrashed trying to get free. Shards of ice flew everywhere, it shook its head, trying to clear the dust from its eyes. "Ow, now that really hurt little kitty... where did you go?" The hollow started to stumble, shaking its head. Half blind it charged, but it went the wrong way. "THERE you are!"

Gwen realized that the confused hollow had thought she was Rukia. "Stupid little." Gwen bolted, though she had enough wit to keep the camera focused on the battle. "This had better be worth..." She tripped.

"GWEN!" Toshiko darted out to try and reach her before the hollow.

WOOOOSH! Suddenly Gwen was being carried, "You really shouldn't have stayed that close to the battle." A quiet voice said in her ear.

Her rescuer was moving so fast, Gwen thought she was going to be sick. "NIISAMA!" Rukia cried in relief.

"SIT there and don't move." Byakuya growled irritably as he set Gwen down. He raised a sword as well. "Scatter, senbonzakura." The blade broke into a hundred tiny pink pieces, almost like blossoms floating on the wind. Almost as if these had a mind of their own, they shot fowards, surrounding the hollow. Then all at once the cloud darted in. SKKKKCCCCHHH! The hollow was torn to pieces. Ichor splattered everywhere, there was no more hollow. The monster dissolved with a soul splitting keen.

The pink petals returned to their blade. "You humans should stay out of this. You're going to get yourselves killed."

"This is our city!!" Gwen protested, getting to her feet. "We have a right to defend it!" Toshiko and Owen had joined her as well, glaring defiantly at Byakuya.

"No, not against hollows. Those are the province of shinigami. You have no defense against what we have been sent here to kill." Byakuya said cooly. "Only a very few humans are capable of fighting one on one with a hollow and winning. The quincy were the only ones who could do so with any consistancy, and only two of their number remain. A few scattered humans do have psychic abilities strong enough to slay a single hollow. A precious few in the world have the ability to defeat a number of hollows. And I have only three names who are capable of fighting the arrancar, the evolved hollows, that we have come to slay on equal footing and hope to survive, let alone win. You are outclassed in this battle. You should leave it to those who are strong enough to survive." Byakuya said coldly.

"Niisama." From where Gwen stood it was clear that the blackhaired girl, Rukia, was going to defer to the older one. Niisama, it sounded like "Oniisan" Japanese for brother. But wasn't 'Sama' master?

"Shimatte kudasai!!" Toshiko hurried forwards, taking her chance to get their attention. She spoke in Japanese, though Gwen and Owen couldn't understand all of it. "_I understand that you have fought a long battle, and that you are used to fighting alone. Without guidance in unfamiliar territory you will be the ones who are killed! There are threats here in which YOU are the ones who are outgunned. Tell me, shinigami, your friend Ichigo Kurosaki. Have you found him yet?"_

_"How do you know Ichigo?"_ Rukia asked, turning to regard Toshiko with suspicion. The shy girl was gone, Rukia's expression was now more like a hawk. In many ways it reminded Toshiko of Gwen.

_"My name is Toshiko Sato, Computer specialist for Torchwood hub 3. Your friend Ichigo Kurosaki was brought into our infirmary 48 hours ago after sustaining serious injuries from an attacker he identifies as Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Espada number 6. Our medical officer, Owen, discovered that his superficial wounds healed on their own, but he is still recovering from internal damage. He is extremely weak, fading in and out of consciousness. And there was a wound on his back, a long vicious clawmark that looked like it had been burned there, that has not yet healed on its own. He was extremely weak, and I didn't hear what it was he said to our Captain, except for the last phrase, he said 'They have only ONE weakspot! The mask on their face. If you break their mask, you'll slay them and they'll go over to the other side. I don't know if that'll be of any use to you...'"_

The shinigami listened carefully to her words. Rukia, Renji and Rangiku looked extremely relieved, but she'd said EXACTLY the wrong thing if she wanted Byakuya to listen to anything she had to say on Torchwood's behalf.

_"He wasn't sure how strong we were, he wasn't sure if we would survive the attempt, but he was willing to let us try! This is OUR home! We have a right, we have a say in what happens to it!"_

Byakuya turned his back and walked away. "Tell Ichigo, that we will send Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai to retrieve him this evening. Unless you wish to die an untimely and vicious death, Sato-san, you and your team will keep away from hollows. Or you will be eaten."

"Niisama..." Rukia looked crestfallen. She had really been hoping she could get to know the three from Torchwood better. And Byakuya's response was a serious disappointment. She had been able to tell, after the incident in which she was almost killed, that Byakuya was trying to be more social. She understood that he was trying to keep the humans from getting hurt but his reaction was still a disappointment.

"Rukia, I'll see you back at the safehouse."

_"Sama, you are nobility yes?"_ Toshiko asked. _"I wasn't disrespectful to him was I?"_

_Hai, Niisama takes a while to warm up to people. I think he, Renji and Ichigo are up to something romantic wise. Poor Ichigo, he didn't want to come. He only came bacause the Commander General promised his family would be protected while he was gone. I have... heard Niisama speaking with Captain Ukitake. Ukitake is hoping to invite Ichigo as his Lieutenant, and several of the Captains think that he is Captain Material. They think that he will save us from Aizen, but Ichigo's rebelliousness, he will not make Captain for a long time._

"Toshiko what are you saying to her?" Gwen demanded.

"I'll tell you when we have returned to the hub." Toshiko promised. "Our Captain, Jack Harkness is also a rebel. Perhaps he and Ichigo will have much in common. I must ask, these hollows, why would this Grimmjow leave a mark down Ichigo's back. It looks as if it were smouldered there, its raw and red and it won't heal. Owen has used every trick he knows to try and make it go away. And we have some GREAT healing technology at our disposal."

"That isn't good. Its a hollow possetion mark." Rukia said, switching back to English. "Hollows, Arrancar in particular will leave a possetion mark for one of two reasons, either they are marking a target as their personal kill, and no hollow of lower ability will dare attack. Or they are marking a target they want as their mate. My big brother, I apologize, he's an aristocrat, and not particularly good at dealing with outsiders. I'm more than willing to go with you. Ichigo will need me, and my big brother was correct in thinking that you are unprepared to deal with hollows."

"Come with us then." Gwen offered, then eyed Rukia suspiciously when she called to their 'doubles' that had run off. "Chappy, I need me gigai back."

"Sure going!" Chappy skipped up. Rukia pulled on the gigai's hand, there was a SHLOOP and a tiny green pill fell into Rukia's hand.

As the other shinigami reclaimed their gigai, an intelligent remark from Renji became an ill omen for the ride to the hub. "ROAD TRIP!"

* * *

Despite the grim mood, the car ride was amusing. Matsumoto and Toshiko joked with each other, with Owen between them. Toshiko whispered something in Japanese to Rangiku, Rangiku giggled and whispered back. Owen started inching away from the two females. Then suddenly Matsumoto was smothering him with what Renji called "The super breast smusher", cackling all the while. Owen's face was priceless, his expression screaming 'help me!' Then Rukia punched Renji. "YOU BLOCKHEAD!" She snapped. "You and Matsumoto have done smarter things while DRUNK!"

"I'm TRYING to drive!" Gwen protested. "Great mother of..."

"Hey Gwen, can I drive? Can I can I?" Renji asked, leaning over the divider between seats. "I've never driven a human vehicle before!"

"And its STAYING that way!" Rukia shoved Renji's head back over to his side.

"She showed you Renji!" Matsumoto cackled. "Rukia! Way to kick some."

"DONT MAKE ME PULL THIS CAR OVER!" Gwen shrilled. "Oh thank goodness, the HUB!" Torchwood Hub had several entrances and exits. There was one in the courtyard of the convention center it was under. That was used when dealing with someone you didn't want to know the locations of the other entrances OR if they wanted to make an entrance. There was another in a store several blocks down, that was where the garage was and where most visitors tried to enter.

Ianto was sitting at the desk reading a book, "Sorry we'r... Gwen welcome back." Ianto stood, "You brought friends."

"Yeah, we found Ichigo's team." Gwen sighed. "One of them didn't want to come, but the other three."

"Dont' worry about Niisama, he's very formal. Shinigami are not, as a rule, accustomed to working with humans. Matsumoto, Renji and I know more about your society. Niisama volunteered, I don't know why, though I suspect that he wanted to keep an eye on Ichigo."

"In that case, why isn't he here?"

"GWEN!" Jack Harkness was a LOT for Rukia to take in. First of all, she had to look UP to see him. Then there was the grin. Rukia thought for the barest moment that Kaien was back from the dead and donned the coat that he'd so coveted when he was still alive. Jack was in his usual button up shirt, slacks and suspenders. The look in his eyes, that friendly welcoming grin that sparkled with life. And his coat, flared in the exact way a shinigami captain's jacket does. "wow, you brought visitors..."

"We found Ichigo's team." Gwen explained. "Ianto, can you get some coffee? I think these three could use some."

"Iiiiiii'm Captain Jack Harkness, leader of Torchwood hub 3." Hand extended in greeting.

Rukia took it. "Rukia Kuchiki, unseated officer of Shinigami Division 13. These are Lieutenant's Renji Abarai and Rangiku Matsumoto." they were headed down a passageway towards Torchwood's control room. They had just barely entered the control room. Rukia thought they might have escaped it but...

"Oh my such a dashing young man!" Matsumoto squealed, leaning in with a cute look on her face. "Its such a pleasure to meet you... Jack-taichou!" The last two sylables were said in the singsong voice reserved for two people, Hitsugaya and a sake bottle.

Rukia dragged Matsumoto back. "DOWN Girl! Before you pop your kimono, hell..." Rangiku was straining against Rukia's attempts to keep her away from Jack.

"Oooooh, but he's cuter than my Taichou... why can't Shiro-chan grow up a bit?" Rangiku pouted. "When this is over, you... me, and a bottle of sa-ke?"

"uuuuh..." Ianto watched Matsumoto's antics, edging away carefully.

"Sure." Jack grinned. "Want me to buy? Its not every day I see someone as... pretty... as you. Normally I have to flirt, I don't have girls throwing themselves at me."

"Liar." Gwen muttered, watching the tableu in amusement.

"Sake, and a cute guy paying for it. We'll never get her off your captain now now." Renji groaned as he eyed Rangiku, who threw her arms around Jack and clung. And yes, she attempted the breast smothering hug, the very one that annoys the hell out of Hitsugaya.

The expression on his face had Owen laughing. "I didn't think I'd see the day when he'd get annoyed by a girl." Owen snorted. "Look at his face Tosh..."

Toshiko was doing her best to ignore the attention Rangiku was paying their leader, but she had a huge grin on her face. And she didn't look in the slightest bit annoyed at Rangiku.

"Rangiku, I have an idea." Rukia said, after watching for a few minutes. "Why don't you help us nurse Ichigo back to health huh?"

"Oh that's right! Ichigo." Rangiku cast one last flirty look at Jack before finally letting go. "I was having fun Rukia. Do we have to get back to business so soooon?" She crooned, eyeing Harkness sidelong.

"Is she always like this?" Ianto asked Renji in a low voice.

"Every single day." Renji replied dryly. "Eat, drink, party and be VERY merry. The worst part is that her captain is short enough, she can smother him with one hug." He laughed. "And no man or woman is safe either. I've seen her sneaking out of Nanao's once. And mooning over Izuru."

"Renji, you've been the only one immune." Rukia pointed out. "Coooome on, its a guy isn't it. You're either head over heals or..."

"LETS go see Ichigo!" Renji said cheerfully, heading for the infirmary.

"oooooh, Renji is it Kuchiki Taichou or Kurosaki?" Rangiku inquired innocently.

"Oooooh, I think he's waking up." Renji was out the door at a run, blushing furiously.

"Do you think that's a 'both?'" Rukia asked innocently. "Look at us Rangiku, the three R's. Rukia, Renji and Rangiku."

"I never noticed that. But Rukia-chaaaaan, can you imagine a three way?" Rangiku's eyes started to sparkle.

"It wouldn't surprise me, those three are already close. Do you think that's why niisama wanted to go?"

"he /asked/??" Rangiku asked with a girly squeal.

"Why is this anything unusual?" Toshiko asked them as the team tailed Renji to the infirmary. "And how do you know where our infirmary is? You've never been down here."

Rukia sobered, shrugging. "Spiritual pressure. Everything has it. The same way I can sense that you have three aliens in your holding cells and a large repository of supernatural artifacts." Rukia said this as if it were the most commonplace thing in the world.

They entered on. "Ichigo! Ichigo wake up!" Renji shook the unconscious shinigami, hard. "ICHIGO!"

A hand jutted up from the bed, grabbed a bedpan, and hit Renji in the head. "I've got a HEADACHE Dumbass!" Ichigo groaned.

"Well SO-RRY for being concerned!" Renji scolded. "I thought you were hurt!"

Ichigo struggled to sit up, and that's when Rukia saw the clawmark down Ichigo's backside. "Ichigo..." She said sharply. "Your back."

"Yeah, Zangetsu healed my body, all except for this. And for some reason I'm really tired and have a supersized headache."

"No kidding." Renji immediately got serious. "Grimmjow left that Ichigo?"

"Among various broken bones, painful bruises and ruptured organs. Right now it hurts to sit up."

"I'll say..." Renji pulled up a stool, gesturing for Ichigo to turn around. "Rukia is this what I think it is?"

"I'm not sure. Ichigo, did Grimmjow do anything to you when he attacked you?"

Ichigo groaned, "Yes, he kicked in my ribcage and punted me like a football!" Ichigo snapped irritably. But his face was white and something didn't quite seem right.

"That's not what I meant..." Rukia said gently. "Everybody but me and Renji, and Jack, out." She hissed. "This is sensitive."

"whatever you say." Rangiku sighed. "Alright, come on, nothing to see here." She told Toshiko, Owen, Gwen and Ianto. "All four of you. Bring me up to date with your territory and I'll bring you up to date with ours." She hummed happily. "And this coffee, does it taste good?"

"Why, what did Grimmjow do?" Owen asked as he was pushed out.

"What is it, Rukia you look like you've seen a ghost?" Jack asked, looking from Ichigo to Rukia and Renji.

"Ichigo, I need you to be honest with us. If you lie in this case it could cost you your life." Rukia said quietly.

"Its nothing." Ichigo said coldly. "And its none of your business." He refused to look Rukia in the eye.

"Ichigo, did Grimmjow do anything sexual to you?" Rukia insisted. Bedpan number two flew in her direction.

"FUCK YOU! I got beaten up! How is none of your business! When I see Grimmjow again I'm going to get some PAYBACK!" Ichigo yelled. "I have a big fucking CLAWMARK down my backside! He wanted payback for Aizen! That's all!"

"Jack, if this is what I think it is and Ichigo doesn't come clean he could die. Did Grimmjow do anything sexual to Ichigo when you found him?" Rukia ducked a sharp object flung at her, then a bottle of something by the bedside. "Before I get beaned in the head."

"FUCK YOU RUKIA! FUCK YOU!" Ichigo sputtered, but then his wounds got the better of him and he screamed, falling backwards onto the bed. Tears trailed down his cheeks. "Fuck you..." He said weakly.

Jack was watching him pityingly. "Grimmjow tried to rape him. When we interrupted him he kicked Ichigo. Sent him flying." Jack said grimmly. Ichigo refused to look him in the eye. He and Harkness had made friends in the couple of days he'd been stuck in the infirmary. Ichigo hadn't had anybody to talk to, since he was so weak.

This time it was a second sharp implement from the nearest bedside table. Jack caught it calmly. "I"m not so easily harmed Ichigo. I'm sorry, I know it hurts to talk about. But this sounds too important for you to..." Ichigo rolled over, ignoring him. "I'm sorry, I know you didn't want to talk about it, but Rukia seems to think this is important. And you shouldn't have to suffer silently." He said quietly, warmly.

Rukia thought, not for the first time, that Harkness reminded her so much of Kaien. "Ichigo, what Grimmjow left was a mating mark. He MARKED you. You might not have noticed it right now, but that isn't just a mark, its a spell." Rukia said sharply. "There are two kinds of matemarks. The Mark of Partnership and the Mark of Subjugation. The Mark of Partnership is a bite or claw to the shoulder. That is a promise or declaration of loyalty. The Mark of Subjugation is down the lower back to the thighs. Its a sign of humiliation, of possession. The Mark of Subjugation doesn't just mess with your body, it messes with your MIND."

"no fucking kidding its humiliating." Ichigo was crying. "Just leave me alone... just..."

Renji's expression was grim. "Hey, Hey Ichigo. Its okay, you're going to be okay." He leaned down to pull the hysterical deputy into his arms. Ichigo growled, shoving uselessly against Renji. He struggled for just a few more seconds before he leaned against Renji and just cried. Just melted.

"Messes with his mind how?" Jack asked Rukia quietly. "Is he in any danger?"

"More than you know." Rukia gestured that they move to the other side of the infirmary. "The Mark of Subjugation is one nasty spell. It... a normal rape is hard enough to deal with, even an ordinary attempted one. Ichigo is a vaizard, a shinigami with an inner hollow. Because of that the Subjugation Mark is especially potent. He won't be able to raise a hand in his own defense, psychologically. Every time he faces Grimmjow, angry or not that inner hollow will be screeching in terror. Its the strength behind Ichigo's bankai, his strongest attack. Right now I need to speak with that inner hollow, here's what I need you to do..."

Ichigo sobbed uncontrollably, he knew what had happened wasn't his fault. Grimmjow had caught him by surprise, he'd escaped getting raped by the skin of his teeth. And Grimmjow was going to come back for more. Ogichi was nowhere in sight. Zangetsu had watched over him, but the old man was silent as well. Renji was so comfortable, he smelled of cinnamon and sunshine and sake and Ichigo didn't want to move.

"Rukia what are you?" Renji blinked in surprise. That was all the warning Ichigo got.

"Sorry Ichigo." There was a prick in his back shoulder, a needle, Ichigo screamed, falling limp.

"What the hell were you doing??" Renji demanded.

"OY Hollow! I'm talking to you!" Rukia snapped. "Answer me dumbhead, if you don't answer me your Human is going to get beaten up by grimmjow a..."

"You are a bitch aren't you?" Ichigo's voice sounded gargled, warped, even if it was muffled by Renji's chest. "You need to learn to leave me alone, but I didn't think you'd have the balls on you to call me out this rudely." Ichigo turned around, and Jack recoiled.

What Jack saw made him tense, there was an eerie feeling coming off of Ichigo, one that frightened something in the deepest depths of his soul. The boy's features had turned a pale, pale ivory white. So had his hair. The whites of his eyes were black, and the irises were a vivid, warning shade of gold. Owen had lent Ichigo a pair of sweatpants to wear while he was recovering, and these were now a crisp, skeletal white.

"It looks like the Immortal is actually afraid of me." Ogichi snickered. "I am the thing that lurks beneath his skin. The phantasm that invades his dreams. I am the one who heals his wounds when he falls to the ground bloody and the one who makes sure he doesn't run home with his tail between his legs. My mask is his shield, my fang his blade."

"Lurk huh, that doesn't sound to good." Jack commented. "Do you know anything... what exactly are you? You don't seem very nice."

"The mate mark, humiliating isn't it?" Ogichi hissed, "I'm sick as a dog and I'm not in a good mood. Trust me, it is VERY hard to make a hollow sick. But Grimmjow laid /my/ King low. He won't get away with it. As soon as I get my talons into his eyeballs." The inner hollow seethed in outrage.

"You're not happy about it." Jack observed. "Why isn't Ichigo's back healing?"

"Its a mark of subjugation, why would it heal." Ogichi hissed. "Its a brand, my /king/ is the property of an Espada INGRATE!"

"How bad is it?" Rukia asked bluntly.

"How bad is what Kuchiki-bitch?" Ogichi asked mockingly.

"How bad is the rain?" Rukia asked with a low growl. "Is the sky clear or is it pouring?"

"Everything is drenched. Buckets and buckets. Its as cold as ice and nothing has escaped it. And I feel like screaming /kuchiki-bitch/. And you... Surfer boy Renji. Do you know what King did when Grimmjow was trying to fuck him? He screamed for help over and over and you never came. He even asked for you by name and what were you doing? Drinking and laughing with the Kuchiki bitch and captain noble tight ass icicle." Ogichi mocked. "The man who cannot die over there, he heard King screaming in panic and pain. And he actually DID something about it!"

Jack growled. "How did you..." He had never said anything to Ichigo about his appearant immortality.

"Know that you can't die? Simple, I'm a hollow and a soul reaper. When there's something wrong with a person's chain of fate, I can feel it. Yours is so tightly anchored to your heart not even the Hogyouku could rip it out. Your spiritual pressure is pretty big too. That chain is probably the only thing between you and being a shinigami like Surfer boy and Kuchiki bitch." Ogichi snickered. "I can read your soul Harkness, there's something in you that screams for death." Ogichi sneered, "Too bad, so pretty and so young. Hats off to you cutie."

"I'm flattered." Jack's expression was as wary and suspcious as it ever got. "A creature from beyond the grave is interested in me..." He said sarcastically. If it weren't for Ogichi's tone, he really would have been flattered.

"Mm, better bending over for you than for Grimmjow. King likes you, did you notice? So what did you want to know, Kuchiki?" Ogichi snickered. "The arrancar bastard?"

"Yes, how much damage did Grimmjow do?"

"Besides tearing my King apart?" Ogichi snarled. "He made me his BITCH and now I can't shake the image of him out of my hormonally craved head. And King is no better. The mere thought makes him stir with an unwanted lust. That is how bad the matemark has become."

"So what would happen if he came after you?" Rukia asked, watching him warily.

"Kuchiki bitch, do you know the difference between instinct and free will? Its a seperation my King doesn't appreciate. If Grimmjow were to return to try and claim me, as his instinct will now prompt him to, my sex crazed hollow mind won't put up a fight at all. I hate him for hurting my King, that is my free will, but I want him to throw me to the mattress and nail me there so badly that I doubt King would be able to put up much of a fight." Ogichi hissed. "That is my instinct. It will confuse the hell out of King." Ogichi shivered. The look in his eyes as they met Rukia's was true fear. "Make no mistake Kuchiki, this is as devastating a blow as you think it is. Everything I stand for terrifies King to his very core. My instinct over the next couple of weeks will be iffy, Grimmjow's antics have me horny as a hounddog and trust me I want some kind of relief. I might not be able to help myself. But I'll tell you a little secret, one I doubt even King realizes yet. He loooooves the surfer boy and the Captain Noble Icicle. He adores them, he'd much, much rather have either of them than Grimmjow, or better both. Hell, I wouldn't mind either. There is a way to do this that is... mutually beneficial. But it would require Renji and Byakuya to take on Grimmjow and win."

"HOW?" Jack demanded, he didn't like the idea of Grimmjow breaking into the Hub just so that he could finish off Ichigo. And he didn't like people getting hurt when he could prevent it, period. And this whole affair already had him on edge.

"Find somebody that King likes so much, he'll sleep with them instead of Grimmjow. Grimmjow will be pissed off when he smells somebody else on his mark. When hollows get into a pissing match over a mate, they fight, and the stronger of the two gets whomever was in dispute. The other runs home with his tail between his legs. If your surfer boy and pretty boy Byakuya get their claws into King first, then beat off Grimmjow, the mate mark will fade and King will heal. Until then, his body will take its own sweet time in healing. Old Man Zangetsu and I won't let him die, but it is a strain on us to fight the energy left behind by that mark. Complete healing of him will take us awhile. Only Renji and Byakuya will be able to do that, because he loves them so deeply in the darkest recesses of his mind, where hope and fear and all that crap come from. And be carefull, Kuchiki brat, Ichigo's bankai isn't going to work very well until this is fixed, worse, I can't heal Ichigo and come to his aid against enemies at once. He is as laid low as he was when he first met Bya and Renji, months and months ago when he was wet behind the ears." Ogichi sneered back at Rukia. "Does that answer your question Soul Reaper? I'm exhausted, and every second wasted here is an hour I could have spent healing King. I can't do two things at once."

"Fine, Ogichi. You told me exactly what I wanted to know." Rukia said coldly. "I do wish Niisama had come."

"Hey, he's an icicle, they have a little trouble melting." Ogichi closed his eyes, falling back into Renji's arms. The white faded from his face, orange returning to Ichigo's hair.

Rukia eyed Jack for a moment. "Renji, stay with Ichigo. I need to bring Jack and his team up to date on the... relevant, points of the conversation and call Niisama."

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on him."

* * *

It was raining in Karakura, Orihime running through the mess, soaking wet. Her long ago words ringing through her head...

_Sometimes, I wish I could be like the rain, if I were, would I have a way to connect two hearts together? The way the rain connects the earth and the sky, even though the two never touch?_

"WHY!!" Orihime screamed. "Why am I... always the one who needs to be protected..." There was a smiling blonde woman in the barest edge of her memory, and a kind faced man with little hair and a look, a look in his eyes that reminded her of Ichigo and Sora at once. "Brother protected me, Kurosaki-kun and Tatsuki-chan, Kuchiki-chan, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun. They're all stronger than I am... I'm always left behind... there's never anything... anything I can do to help them."

She closed her eyes, raising her face to the sky, focusing as hard as she could on the memory. The day Sora died, /they/ came. Orihime was so scared and hurt so badly. They stayed for a while week to make sure she was alright. /She/ held Orihime back from getting run over too.

Orihime heard her younger voice chiming. "Thank you for staying with me Tyler-chan..." Twelve year old Orihime clung, sobbing to the woman she barely remembered from years ago. "Niichan... Niichan would be glad... somebody came to help me... I know you had somewhere you wanted to be... I'm so sorry I took you two away..."

And waving goodbye in the rain as the two walked away. "Thank you Rose! Thank you Doctor! I'll get big and strong just like you Rose! You just watch!" The two disappeared across the street, all Orihime heard to mark their absence was a peculiar sound, sawing out of existance and fading, like a bad car or a broken machine. It wasn't that long later that Tatsuki came into her life, and the memories of the blonde woman and her kind faced Doctor faded to the back of her mind.

Orihime couldn't remember very well, that was a part of her life she wanted to forget. The very first people who protected her. And since then she'd been so helpless. Unable to help friends who desperately needed her.

"I'll get big and strong just like you Rose! You just watch!"

Orihime screamed in frustration and helplessness.

* * *

1. I saw the episode "Fragments" Torchwood 02, I wanted to draw a parallel between Jack and Ichigo.

2. My all time favorite piece of Hitsugaya fanart. Poor Shirochan!


	2. The New Companion

Note: zomg I thought this was worth continuing. AZJanus and Afriel seemed to like it. I'm going to link it to my mother when I've put it up.

I watched the very first episode of Crossing Jordan. I heard a sappy sweet song at the end. The kind that you listen to drinking tea and looking out at the city at night and think of better days in better times.

The song... Thirty Years of Tears by John Hiatt

www(dot)pernshinigami(dot)/2008/10/09/

I was bawling my eyes out. It was so sad I couldn't help crying. And I'm sharing since I think it goes with Orihime's adventure in this chapter. Or misadventure as the case may be.

* * *

**Doctor Who 101 - For Bleach fans who have never seen Doctor Who...**

The notes at the end of the chapter are VERY VERY long. Since this fic is classed under Bleach and AZ Janus reviewed that she was unfamiliar with the Doctor Who fandom, I have information on Doctor Who at the end of the fic so that devoted fans of Bleachland know what's going on. In addition I have compiled a list of pictures of the characters of Doctor Who and the two companion series Torchwood and Sarah Jane adventures. A (not so) brief explanation of the three series for Bleach fans who have not yet seen Doctor who or the two accompanying series.

Doctor Who is the intertemporal, intergalactic adventures of a 900 year old Timelord known simply as "The Doctor" it is mentioned in the Guiness book of World Records as the longest running TV show in history, even outlasting Startrek and the more modern Stargate. It debuted the day after John F. Kennedy died, and many thought that it would be ignored in the wake of the trajedy. They reaired the pilot the week after. The series took off, and has ever since. It ran from 1963 uninterrupted until 1984. It reaired briefly from 1986 to 1989. Up until the end of the original series the Doctor's species, the Timelords still existed. Being nearly as long lived as the Shinigami and having some pretty hefty technology of their own, they would have been both well aware of and well acquainted with the seireitei. In 2005 BBC remade it, with a timeskip inbetween, during the timeskip a war broke out between the Dahleks and the Timelords, in which the Doctor was on the front lines and the Timelords were rendered extinct.

Many of the designs in the original series have been carried forwards through the timeskip, including the outside of the Tardis (the inside has had a major facelift since the original), the Dahleks and Cybermen, and K-9. The only things that were 'changed' about the Dahlek and Cybermen designs from the original through the timeskip is to use modern special effects to enhance their range of motion and enhance the light/sound effects. These were done in an attempt to increase the realism of two of the biggest badguys in the series while keeping the original look.

There are a few surviving timelords, the Doctor's antithesis "The Master" has appeared in series 3 and it was hinted at the end of series 3 that a female timelord named Rani might also have survived. In series 4 a cloning machine created a third timelord and daughter of the Doctor, Jenny. The doctor's companions in the current series are Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Jack Harkness and Donna Noble. Rose was stranded in an alternate timeline following the episode "Doomsday." Martha left the Doctor and joined an organization known as UNIT, dedicated to fighting aliens. However UNIT frequently doesn't listen to her advice, despite their holding her in high regard. Jack Harkness became a member of Torchwood and head of Torchwood HUB 3 in Cardiff Wales. Donna Noble was the companion just prior to the fanfic. She absorbed a timelord consciousness (a copy of the doctor's) in an accident. And while her actions immediately after saved not just earth but 26 other planets, she was unable to handle the timelord mind. As soon as the adrenaline from battle wore off, she began to die. The Doctor placed a seal on her memories of him, which halted the damage. But she cannot return, because if she remembered the doctor she would start to die again.

In addition several companions have appeared for short periods of time, including Rose's boyfriend Mickey, also one episode Astrid Peth who was played by one hit wonder Kylie Minogue. Of the companions in the 1963 original series, only one has returned in the remake, Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen), in the episode "School Reunion."

_Being nonviolent in general, the Doctor dislikes guns and other sidearms with a passion. In the fic, while he dislikes weapons, he understands the necessity for shinigami to carry zanpakuto. Most of the captains have only heard of him, but because they are only about 100 years younger than he is, he is friends with Shunsui Kyouraku and Jyoushiro Ukitake. Due to her benevolent nature and defensive rather than offensive ability, I thought Orihime was the most fitting of the Bleach cast to be a companion. Also, as her healing ability 'rewinds' a person's body rather than straightforward healing them, she's further fitting to the Doctor's personality._

In the main series, Torchwood played a minor role. Created by Queen Elizabeth in the mistaken belief that the Doctor is a threat (he's anything but!), Doctor met Torchwood's modern counterparts in the two part season 2 finale. Torchwood (London not Cardiff) was responsible for Rose being trapped in the alternate timeline by aggrivating an interdimensional opening that let the Cybermen through and capturing a capsule containing 4 dahleks and a timelord prison ship filled with the same. The ensuing battle is known as "The battle of Canary Warf." In the present day, Torchwood is under command of Great Britain while at the same time seperate from any world government. Unlike their allies at UNIT, Torchwood is almost constantly in Search of alien artifacts for use on Earth. They are divided up into HUB's, similar to shinigami divisions. Torchwood London was destroyed in the episode "Doomsday." However, besides Cardiff and London there are HUBS in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Vienna, Madrid, Oslo, Moscow, Sydney, Tokyo, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Pretoria, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Mexico City, Kingston, Toranto, Vancouver and Washington DC.

The doctor dislikes Torchwood in general, though he makes an exception for Jack. He views them as generally being Xenophobic (ergo the wrong company for an alien like him.) The series is considered to have taken place in the same timeline as Doctor Who, following the battle of canary warf through the rest of the present timeline. Martha Jones was a supplementary member during the episodes "Reset" "Dead Man Walking" and "A day in the death" while Owen was recovering from being ressurected. At the beginning of the first season Jack's second in command, Suzie Costello, went on a killing spree in an attempt to test an alien technology. She shot Jack, Jack shot her, Suzie died. Several episodes later the same technology Suzie was testing was used to ressurect her, (and was later used to ressurect Owen in the following season), and she went pretty psycho, killing her sick father and trying to kill Gwen before she was finally stopped. At the end of season two, Toshiko and Owen are killed.

_It was here I made a mistake with the timeline, Toshiko and Owen were killed before the fic began and before the end of doctor who season 4. Here they are alive, (more or less in Owen's case), and well. _

_In the fanfic, I attempted to create a team of Bleach shinigami similar to or complementing the current Torchwood team. Ichigo is clearly the leader, and I attempted to paralell him with Jack. Rukia seems to get along best with Gwen, and I was thinking of her when I included Rukia in the fic. Martha likely won't appear in this fic, neither will Donna. However, I'm contemplating using Suzie as a new Espada, as her behavior while ressurected was very hollow like._

Sarah Jane adventures was a child oriented spinoff of the Doctor Who series, starring Elisabeth Sladen as the Doctor's former companion Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane is the only one of the original who series companions to be carried forwards into the remake. Sarah Jane went on to be a journalist after her adventures with the Doctor, and her prior history with the doctor was touched on in Series 4 finale eps "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End" when a villain also carried over into the timeskip, Darvos, finds her years later and taunts her.

Sarah Jane adopted a son Luke, who was cloned from human DNA by a species called "The Bane", Luke is highly intelligent but rather naive, tending to easily fall into traps set by aliens. Luke's friends Maria and Clyde can be referred to in this fic as her charges, as she teaches them about the aliens and supernatural phenomena that they encounter and how to defend themselves from it. Sarah Jane has a highly advanced AI computer in her attic known as "Mister Smith" who is constantly collecting data from both the media and surrounding airspace, all the way up into Earth's solar system. K-9, a robotic AI dog was given to her by the Doctor, and K-9 frequently does repairs or tasks that Mister Smith cannot. In the old series special "The 5 Doctors" K-9 warned her of the approach of a piece of Timelord Technology being used to capture 5 different incarnations of the Doctor and his companions, Sarah Jane ignored his and was captured anyway. In the present time and companion series K-9 fixed Mister Smith when his AI ran amok in "The Lost Boy" and transmitted passcodes to Mister Smith in the finale for Series 4 "Journey's End." K-9 is frequently depicted on 'old school' doctor who clothing and memorabilia. His design has been slightly revised, but like the Dahleks and Cybermen, his image has been largely untouched since the original series.

_I'm planning on having Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai appear in a chapter with Sarah Jane and her charges later in the fanfic, in which Yoruichi and Urahara warn Sarah Jane of the presence of hollows, Aizen's attempt to recover his power, and of shinigami in general. This same chapter will also contain a dahlek (in a manner of speaking), and which I've been coming up with for ages now. Given that Jinta, Ururu, Yuzu and Karin are more or less always in and out of the Shoten I thought Urahara and co fit Sarah Jane and her charges very well. _

The fic begins after Orihime returns home and after the Series 4 finale "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End." I goofed with the Torchwood timeline, as Season 2 finished just before the Series 4 finale. By all rights Owen and Toshiko should be dead. The two of them are alive and well in the fanfic.

Since the Stolen Earth and Journey's End play an important part in the events leading up the fanfic, and because they're too long to include in the fanfic, I've hunted down the synopsis' and Wikipedia can tell you what happened. Trust me Bleachophiles, Stolen Earth and Journey's End are AWESOME BEYOND AWESOME! They're something out of every fangirl's fever dreams!! Be sure to read if you can, because the events in these two episodes are interpreted in Bleach terms at the beginning of this chapter.

**Summary for Part 1 - The Stolen Earth**

en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/TheStolenEarth#Synopsis

**Summary for Part 2 - Journey's End**

en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Journey'sEnd(DoctorWho)#Plot

_In the fanfic, when the Dahleks stole Earth and brought it to the Medusa Cascade they were attacking earth all over and taking people to test a new weapon on. While the Doctor and his companions entered the dahlek mothership "Crucible" to fight the Dahleks head on, the shinigami fought to drive the Dahleks out of Japan. _

_Dahleks do not believe in ghosts, spirits or anything of the sort, leaving them vulnerable to shinigami, Vaizard and hollow techniques. The hollows however, were having an easier time killing the dahleks than the shinigami were. They ate several hollows, going on a feeding frenzy. _

_Meanwhile the Shoten staff, the shinigami captains and lieutenants, Ichigo's team and Shinji's Vaizard troupe have all risen in rebellion against the dahlek's initial attack on Earth's military bases. When they finish the invasion and begin occupation of earth, they hold a quick powow, and decide on a devestating but extremely risky strategy. _

_The Dahleks have begun capturing humans for use in the testing of their newest weapon, the reality bomb. This extremely messy doomsday machine breaks the bonds between atoms in a given object by destroying their electrons. The Bleach characters plan is to sneak into the lines of humans being brought to the crucible, then at the right moment eject from their gigai or activate their powers and blow the dahlek formations to smithereens. But if they make it up to the Crucible they're deadmeat. With the 12th division coordinating the effort, the other divisions split up with Ichigo's team, the Shoten staff and Shinji's vaizard troops and enter the capture lines. When the 12th division signals, all chaos breaks loose. _

_The Dahleks arrogant disbelief in an afterlife leaves them completely vulnerable to attack. A Dahlek saucer moves in to blast Karakura town in response to the shinigami's uprising, and Ichigo, Shinji and Hiyori, Urahara, Kenpachi and Byakuya get close enough to attack it head on, severely damaging the ship before it retreats back to the Crucible. in the battle below the other division captains and any resident of Karakura strong enough to stand in their way, Isshin and Ryuken included take up arms against the Dahleks as the conflict tears through the streets of Karakura. _

_While Aizen doesn't make an appearance, Tousen and Gin become intreagued enough by the activities on Earth to assist in the battle and after the battle attempt to gather as many of the hollow eaten dahleks as they can (after all, Hollow victims /do/ turn into hollows themselves). Yamamoto, Chojiro, Ukitake and the entire 12th division remain behind in Soul Society to coordinate the stampede of shinigami rising in battle against the Dahleks. The 4th Division, headed by Unohana, Isane, Ikemura and Hanatarou splits up to help deal with the casualties. Hitsugaya, Komamura, Kyouraku and Soi Fong take command of the shinigami still on the battlefield. Except for Momo , Isane (with medical teams) and Chojiro (with command team), the lieutenants also spread out, tearing the enemy apart. Yoruichi rallies Isshin, Ryuken and Tessai and form her own team. Rukia takes Ikkaku and Yumichika to meet Uryu, Sado and Orihime. The vaizard split up, Shinji and Hiyori join Ichigo at the Dahlek Saucer, Hachi joins Yoruichi's group, and the remainder go back to join their former divisions in battle. _

_Somewhere in the battle Orihime gets seperated from her group and fights tooth and nail to protect the civilians of Karakura, who have been caught in the crossfire. However, not long after she collapses from the exertion, rescued by Yoruichi, and awakens in the Shoten several days later with Uryu and Sado. Orihime begins to feel out of place and helpless after the battle, leading up to the present. _

_After the battle ends, Tousen and Gin gather as many of the hollows born from the conflict as they can, specifically searching for dahlek hollows eaten by the native Karakura hollows. They also retrieve several wrecked Dahlek Casings. Aizen has an empire to rebuild, and the mysteries of the tech left behind by the dahleks cause him to look skyward in search of weaponry and technology. Aizen scans Szayel's old notes, discovering that an interdimensional rift in Cardiff Wales routinely spawns alien and interdimensional phenomena. The veil between worlds is thinner, making the area just as rich if not more rich in resources than Karakura, Szayel had suggested Cardiff as a backup point of attack if their attempt on Karakura town failed. _

_Aizen's next move is obvious, explore Cardiff and gather alien technology from the area. Which takes us up to the beginning of the fanfic. _

That's Doctor Who in a nutshell. I'm sorry this was so long. I wanted to cover the basic ideas and how they relate to the fanfic. Blame my obscene memory for details and trivia. There are going to be specific details of storyline at the end of the chapter, as well as a section of pictures for the non who literate.

One final note before we begin, I'm sending this fic to my mom. And I must ask her to pointedly disregard the scene of Urahara and Hitsugaya having sex in Orihime's guest room.

* * *

As Ichigo's fate far away in Cardiff had yet to be decided, so Orihime felt her own future was uncertain. First being kidnapped by Aizen, having to be rescued, not doing the rescuing but being rescued herself. With nothing, no way to help out and her friends falling all around her. Orihime had felt helpless, completely and totally weak. She couldn't do ANYTHING to help her friends protect her town. She couldn't fight, she was too weak.

At the end of the day, Ichigo was a hero, Uryu was a moody but popular guy, Sado was the gentle giant always willing to help those in trouble. Rukia was full of fire, always piss and vinegar with the ice to back it up. Renji was as feral as a person got, but he was so nice when he wanted to be and he was so kind and loyal and...

And at the end of the day Orihime was nothing. A nobody. Oh wait, she was the person that got kidnapped and who's friends almost died trying to save her.

That wasn't something that Orihime liked having on her conscience.

And then THEY came. The dahleks. Earth was snatched right out from under her feet. The skies lit with fire, the rainbow of the Medusa cascade fell over the landscape. Even fighting for her life, the skyscape was so beautiful.

Orihime and her friends had done their best trying to protect their town. They'd been joined by almost 500 shinigami warriors in trying to drive the enemy from Japan. Orihime watched shinigami and civililans fall left and right, and served with the 4th division in healing their forces.

Then the shinigami, Urahara's staff, and the local Vaizard troop had an idea, they'd noticed that the Dahleks were taking humans away with them to their ship. If they could sneak shinigami into the procession, and wait until just before the Dahleks transported the latest wave of prisoners away, they could cause maximum damage to the invaders.

The Dahleks did not believe in ghosts (1), or hollows, and were confused about the shinigami that had taken them out with ferocious abandon. They did not understand about gigai or zanpakuto. They didn't realize that a tiny candy holder the size of a pez dispenser could loose an enemy on them that they could not see, track, or fight.

They didn't realize that a pendant could be the key to a bow of pure energy, or that a human could have the physical strength to blow crators in the battlefield.

They didn't realize that hairpins could be the focus for psychic powers so powerful that they could deny the laws of time and space itself.

So the group had split up, each letting themselves be pulled into the processions the Dahleks were leading away. When the time was just right, the control room at the 12th division gave the signal and chaos erupted within the imprisoned humans. Ichigo actually caused heavy damage to one of the ships, blows that were followed up by a relentless assault of Vaizard fired Cero and shinigami Kidou!

The local hollows had a hayday, dahlekanium was butter beneath their jaws. Dahleks were tough and sour, but one hollow actually remarked that they tasted like chicken.

Where was Orihime in all of this?

Orihime had fullfilled her function in the infiltration and assault on the Dahlek prisoner procession. Tsubaki tore the dahlek casing to shreds, her shield actually caused some of their energy bullets to ricochet. But all around her innocents were dying. The Dahleks weren't retreating. She had to save the civillians dying around her. But she couldn't stop them all.

Orihime slowly tired, each blow or deflection drained her energy horribly. She was so weak.

Orihime's legs had buckled beneath her, the last thing she saw was the crackle of a shunko and Yoruichi's warm arms scooping her up and carrying her to safety.

The rain fell, and Orihime screamed, mentally, emotionally. She couldn't stop herself from being kidnapped, and when the fate of the whole world had fallen on the shoulders of those who rose to kill the enemy, she had been unable to follow her friends to the end of the battle.

The aftermath had been worse, she'd gone to visit Uryu and Sado while they recovered, she'd heard Uryu tell Sado. "We shouldn't have let Orihime fight. She's not the kind who fares well in battle. This just proves that she's better for healing than fighting."

She was there you know! She may be ditsy, just a little, but she had feelings. Orihime screamed again.

Her outrage attracted hollows, but that was fine with Orihime. She needed to wear off steam, she needed to disolve all her anguish and pain. "DIE!" Orihime roared. Tsubaki followed her every order, but he didn't have his usual pep. Shuno hovered over her shoulder. "Orihime..."

"I just feel so horrible, so hopeless and helpless it hurts inside." Orihime sobbed, her outrage and despair fueling Tsubaki's rampage through the sky. "I think of everything that's happened and I feel SICK! I'm tired of being the one everybody dies to protect. At least Rukia was helpful to Ichigo after he rescued her."

"I'm so sorry Orihime. I'm so sorry." Shuno whispered quietly. "It hurts horribly. I feel it. I know your pain. I'm so sorry."

Tsubaki finished off the last of the hollows and outrage gave way to despair. Orihime fell to her knees on the sidewalk. She was soaked to the bone, enervated completely. She clenched her fists on the ground and just cried. Her mind screamed to her 'weak, weak, weak. I'm so weak!'

Orihime almost missed the sawing noise from the edge of her memory. The peculiar broken car noise that is the telltale sign that a Tardis is entering the area. The noise faded and orihime sobbed, her hair falling all over and no part of her was dry. Rain mixed with tears and Orihime sobbed quietly. "Why... why... Ichigo did his best to save me. He was hurt so bad. Aizen was willing to kill my friends and why? For what? Why is my life worth more or less than anyone else's? Why is it, at the end of the day, everyone else can stand up and fight and I'm always left behind, unable to lift a finger to save anyone?"

"I dunno, but it sounds like a rotten situation to me." A brittish accent said quietly behind her.

Orihime whirled, skittering back on her butt and landing in the mud. Shuno squealed, darting shyly behind Orihime's head and landing on her shoulder. The fairy blushed, a look of hope coming to her face. The other Shun Shun Rikka gathered in a silent halo around Orihime's head. "Who... who are you?"

"Orihime! Don't you remember him? He's the Doctor! Remember? He and Rose saved you ages and ages ago!" Shuno squeaked. "Oh thank goodness! A voice of reason! Our Orihime was so sad!"

Orihime blushed, "D... d... doctor?? Shuno that can't be right! He didn't have hair! Now he has hair! He doesn't look anything like..." A hand was offered her. "Um..." (2)

"You shouldn't be down in the dirt, you'll catch a cold in this weather."

Orihime took it, wiping at her eyes. "I... I was just getting some exercise." She lied.

"I see..." It had to be Doctor, he looked completely different, but the kind, pitying look in his eyes was the same.

"Look at me, out here in the rain where are my manners?" Orihime babbled, blushing. "There are a bunch of shinigami staying at my house but you should come in and get dry!" She threw her arms around Doctor and started crying. "I'm so glad you came back! I was so depressed." Orihime clung in the same fashion her twelve year old self had when Doctor and Rose had seen her last. "Come back to my house! There's so much to talk about. You should meet Urahara! He's really nice! He and some of his friends have a mission to London soon and they were staying at my place one more night. Oh please..."

"Settle down Orihime, I'll come with you." Doctor assured her. "Come on, its alright."

Suddenly the rain didn't hurt her anymore, Orihime felt relief, just relief flood over her. The trip back to her house took forever. But she didn't care. "Rose, did she come too? I wanted to show her how strong I got." Orihime's eyes teared up. "I promised her I'd get stronger so I wouldn't need to be saved, I got bigger and was able to do so much but in the end I couldn't do anything. My friends fought and fell all around me and I couldn't help them. All I could do was patch up their wounds. It hurt so much." Orihime sobbed.

"Rose is... not around anymore." Doctor looked sad. "She... she went home. She helped when the Dahleks invaded, but she had to go home again. She's... she's needed elsewhere."

"I understand." Orihime didn't really, she'd been twelve, and all she knew was that a beautiful woman named Rose saved her, and Rose and a kindhearted man who was only a Doctor had stayed with her for a whole week after Sora's death. She didn't know of Timelords or wars or Companions or Darvos or Cybermen or anything that Rose and Doctor had known so much about. After all, how could a twelve year old completely understand or make sense of the whole thing?

"Here, its up this way. You should have come before. Its... its weird. I just had the strangest feeling after you left, I knew you'd come back. But I didn't know how. I thought it was just wishful thinking. After all, who'd remember me? You went so many places and had so many adventures."

"I almost didn't recognize you. Rose had a good instinct, she took a shine to people who were important. Heck, she actually managed to get information out of a dahlek, she just had an instinct with people." Doctor sighed. "A very rare instinct. She brought out the best in the people she met."

"That sounds like Ichigo." Orihime said quietly. "He had to go away on an important mission. My friends and I are on our own until he gets back. Uryu has his own business, and Sado is planning on training with the Vaizard. I really don't have much to do without them." What was that look on Doctor's face? He looked so sad.

They opened the door to Orihime's house. Lights were off everywhere but the kitchen. Yoruichi and Soi Fong were inside, drinking tea laced with some kind of alcoholic beverage. "Y... Yoruichi-chan..." Orihime said shyly. "Fong taichou. I'm sorry I interrupted."

"What's wrong with you?" Soi asked. "you're soaked. Its after ten. Yoruichi-sama was worried."

"Dont' call me 'sama.'" Yoruichi chided, then she pinned Doctor with an intense stare. "I thought the Timelords were all dead. Looks like you picked up a stray huh Orihime?"

"Timelord? What's a timelord?"

"My people." Doctor explained. "My species."

"You mean he's a..." Soi fong was startled. "When I was a girl, Timelords came and went as they pleased in the Seireitei. They were honored guests of the 13 court guard squads. They were such close allies, that the day that Galifrey fell, every Zanpakuto cried, and every heart mourned their passing."

"A few did escape Soi Fong. You must be the Doctor." Yoruichi said, scrutinizing him. "I heard rumors about you. They say you always come where and when you're needed, and that those whom you touch are meant for greatness, protected through their whole life. They said only you and Master survived, I never thought you'd come to Karakura."

"I came to see an old drinking buddy of mine. Shunsui Kyouraku." Doctor said quietly. "I could use a chance to get drunk. And he was... kind to me, after the Timewar ended."

"I can bet." Yoruichi poured two more cups of tea. "Soi Fong, can you get Orihime dried off? Maybe find some pajamas or something for her."

"Sure." Soi Fong steered Orihime away.

"I knew that Orihime was an odd one, tell me, how did you meet her?"

Doctor took the offered cup of tea. "I... I was traveling with Rose. I wanted to introduce her to the shinigami, introduce her to Shunsui and the other captains. We saw the accident where Orihime's brother died. Orihime wanted to run out into the road. Rose always had a protective streak in her. I tried to remind her of what happened the last time she pulled somebody out of the way of a car. She wouldn't hear any of it. Rose insisted on staying with Orihime for a week, just to make sure she was back on her feet. I had places in Karakura that I wanted to be. I let her have that week. It was raining, just like now. It was a different regeneration, I didn't think she'd know who I was... Orihime I mean." Doctor sighed. "The last thing she said before we left was, 'one day Rose, i'm going to be big and strong just like you. Then you'll never have to protect me again.' what happened? She was such a happy little girl."

"War happened Doctor. The enemy kidnapped Orihime, she has... incredible psychic abilities for a human. Aizen wanted to exploit them to destroy Karakura. Her friends chased after her like bloodhounds on a scent. They sustained horrific injuries fighting Aizen, just to get to her. And she couldn't do anything to stop Aizen or keep them from getting hurt. And then the Dahleks came, the first 48 hours the shinigami fought tooth and nail to protect Karakura. Even the hollows rose in rebellion that day. Then Yamamoto had an idea, one that was incredibly dangerous, but if it worked, it would cause massive damage to the Dahleks. Unfortunately, it put civilians in the line of fire. Orihime's abilities are very good. She can block anything, heal anything, and if she gets angry enough she can cut anything. But Orihime is not easily angered, she is not a killer and she hates people dying in her name, getting hurt in her name. Her friends coming to save her would have been bad enough but... When they came, she fought so hard to stay on equal ground with her friends and protect the people of Karakura. She used up every last ounce of her strength, and I had to pull her away to safety when she collapsed in the middle of the battle." Yoruichi explained.

"I can sympathize." Doctor said quietly. "Aizen finally went rogue? He always gave me the creeps."

"Yeah, and tore through us like paper when we tried to stop him. The Chamber of 46 is no more. We not only lost Aizen and the two captains who followed him, they purposefully sabatoged their own divisions, maimed one of the lieutenants and killed another (3) lieutenant in the process. But every single battle that we've fought, Orihime has had to watch her friends be hurt and not be able to help protect them. The Dahleks finally broke her."

"I see..."

"Doctor, you're welcome to stay at the shoten as long as you'd like. The look in your eyes, its that of a man who lost something very, very precious to him." Yoruichi said quietly. "Stay and heal your wounds. Maybe you can heal Orihime's while you're there."

"She was tearing every hollow she could find to pieces." Doctor told Yoruichi. "She was on her knees in the rain."

"I failed, I didn't see the warning signs. I should have when Aizen kidnapped her. She wrote. 'Good bye, Halcyon days' in her diary." Yoruichi shuddered.

"I'm heeeeeeeere!" Orihime popped back into the kitchen with an attempt at a huge grin on her face. "Did I miss anything?" She asked hopefully.

"No, but Kisuke is going to be so angry that I didn't get him out of bed." Yoruichi snickered. "He would have wanted to meet Doctor."

"aaaah, the Kisuke I've heard of? Urahara that Kisuke?" Doctor asked, quirking a brow.

"Oh this is just too funny." Yoruichi started laughing. "he's heard of you, you've heard of him, and both of you wanted to meet each other!"

"Well where is he?"

**BAM!** A headboard overhead hit the wall. "KISUKE!" Hitsugaya shrilled, the kind of shrill one gives off when having very, very good sex.

Yoruichi didn't even flinch, sipping her tea. "Its best not to bother him right now."

"I... think that might be wise." Doctor agreed, blushing.

"You don't go for men do you Doctor? You don't strike me as the type." Yoruichi said absently. "Unless you're very drunk. Or just plain desperate and lonely."

"Oh once or twice, usually when I feel like I really need someone... no real attachment. Besides, he's got Ukitake." Doctor pointed out. "Eeeverybody's got somebody."

"That's a cry of desperation if I ever heard one." Yoruichi said sarcastically. "What do you think Soi Fong, should we find the Doctor a boyfriend before he goes?"

Soi Fong blushed. "Y... Yor... Yoruichi-sama, isn't that a little..."

"Naw, it will be fine! We need to get Doctor some action." (4) Yoruichi said cheerfully, clapping Soi Fong on the back.

"That's quite alright." Doctor slowly inched away from Yoruichi.

Orihime giggled. "Boyfriend! Ooooooh, that will be fun. I wonder what kind of boyfriend we should find for Doctor. Somebody really smart and charming and sweet. Dashing good looks, great temprament..."

"Are you describing Jack Harkness on purpose or am I just being paranoid?" Doctor asked, edging away from Orihime now too.

"Who's Jack Harkness?" Orihime asked. "I was just trying to figure out what kind of boyfriend would be best for a handsome alien Doctor!" Then she got a lightbulb going on expression. "I know! I should introduce you to Uryu!"

Far away, Uryu sneezed, and Yoruichi sputtered in laughter. "Yes, Uryu would be great. Slip a little joy dust into his drink... ooooh, Orihime do you think Doctor would be top or bottom?"

Doctor looked like he was going to run away screaming in fear. "I think we've traumatized him enough Yoruichi-chan." Soi Fong said kindly. "This is typical believe it or not. The shinigami woman's association loves to gossip."

"Oh I can bet." Doctor groaned, "Remind me never to be in a room with another man alone."

* * *

Urahara would have wanted, desperately, to meet the Doctor. But he had a fluffy little white Shirochan in front of him. "Mphy," Hitsugaya mumbled as the last of his robes was flung across the room. "Where... are you going to start."

"Hmm, I was thinking from the top down." Urahara started kissing his way down Hitsugaya's chest, down his stomach.

"You dirty le... ooooooooooomhhhph..." Hitsugaya let out a strangled cry, legs windmilling in the air as Urahara took him in his mouth, hard. "mmmph, I should... have done this... a long... oh oh oh oh!" Kisuke had swallowed. Hitsugaya shrieked in pleasure as he came. "nnnnnnnnng sorry..." He fell back against the bed.

"Don't worry, I'll be more careful if you're still interested..." Kisuke purred. Stroking Hitsugaya's cheek. "I'll be gentle."

"Oh yes, definately interested." Hitsugaya purred.

"Alright, hang on tight... Shiro-chan." Urahara chuckled. He rooted around the drawer for some lotion. "This will be a little cold." He warned, slickening his fingers. "If it starts to hurt, tell me and I'll back out a little."

Hitsugaya blushed, relaxing his lower body. The lotion was cold, Hitsugaya felt his breath hitch impatiently. Urahara slipped finger number two in. The white haired shinigami wriggled a little, reacting to the unfamiliar sensations. The shopkeeper withdrew his fingers, suddenly the 10th captain was scooped up under the arms. "I want to grow." He grumbled.

"I know... I'll see what we can do about that later..." Urahara kissed Hitsugaya tenderly before gently guiding him downwards. The first inch stung, but the rest had Hitsugaya clinging to Urahara's shoulders for support. As soon as he was fully seated inside, Urahara wrapped his arms around Hitsugaya. The littlest captain clung to the shopkeeper, whimpering for a moment before he fully adjusted.

"Move already..." Hitsugaya grumbled.

"Alright..." Urahara rolled his hips gently, starting off slow. The little captain clung for a moment, then slowly started moving with Urahara's thrusts. Urahara sped up and then he hit right on target.

Hitsugaya saw white and screamed in pleasure, moving faster against the shopkeeper. Urahara bent, kissing the white haired captain's shoulders and neck. Hitsugaya arched against him in pleasure, Urahara hit the right spot each time. He wasn't going to last long. Hitsugaya felt himself tumbling towards the edge and then... "KISUKE!!" Hitsugaya writhed in pleasure as he came. Urahara came after, and Hitsugaya groaned as he felt his koi spill inside him. The white haired captain panted, carefully slipping away from Urahara and flopping on his back on the bed. Urahara groaned, lying down next to him. Hitsugaya snuggled up against him. "Its not fair."

"What is?" Urahara asked.

"i'm over 200 years old and stuck in the body of a fourteen year old. I want to get BIG. I want to grow and maybe I'll finally get the respect I deserve as a captain in the Court Guard Squads." Hitsugaya complained. "I don't know what to do, or how, I"ve tried everything, from vitamins to hormones. Nothing. I'm stuck as a kid forever an..." Urahara kissed Hitsugaya on the forehead. "I promise, I'll find some way for you to age. Just enough. I think you'd be cute at... hmm... 25? Sound like a fun age?" Urahara teased.

"I'd at least look attractive." Hitsugaya grumbled. "At least I'm not Captain Ukitake, he's stuck in a sick body. Everybody respects him though."

"Yeah... but you're not captain Ukitake, you're you." Urahara smiled as Hitsugaya closed his eyes for sleep.

* * *

"Koi? come on, starlight, moonlight. Lets go for a run by the river." Soi Fong begged Yoruichi. Doctor chuckled, watching Soi fong tug on Yoruichi's shirt.

"We are not going to leave one of the last timelords on his lonesome tonight Soi Fong." Yoruichi pulled the younger shinigami into a kiss.

Doctor covered his eyes. "Are hormones the only mood in the house tonight?" He asked. "First this Urahara and now you two."

"Don't worry, I've told Shunsui that he has a timelord asking after him." Soi Fong clung to Yoruichi and stuck out her tongue at Doctor. "I lost her for 100 years. I'm entitled to cling and beg and kiss."

Yoruichi looked into Doctor's eyes, it was the same wise look that he had sometimes. "Doctor, now that she's gone to bed... Orihime. I wanted to talk." Yoruichi patted the seat next to the one she and Soi Fong were occupying. "How did you meet her?"

Doctor chewed on his lip. "My last Regeneration, when he was traveling with Rose. I wanted to take her to Soul Society to introduce her to the shinigami. She didn't have a father around, I thought Shunsui would be a... comfort, to her. But we didn't even get that far.

**flashback**

"SORA! SOOORAAA!" The car had hit Orihime's older brother Sora. Being possessed of little sense and lots of heart, Orihime tried to run out into the road. But traffic was starting to pile up around the accident site.

What Rose did was on reflex. "WAIT. You'll get hurt too!"

"Niiiichaaaan! niiichaaaan!" Orihime wailed, struggling against the older woman. "Lemme GO lemme GO! I need to get to him! SORA!!"

"You can't go out there, its not safe." Rose warned. "Don't go. We'll call the police."

"What are you doing?" Doctor demanded. "Didn't you learn your lesson the LAST time you pulled somebody out of the way of a car?" (5)

"This is completely different and you know it. Now take out your cellphone and call 911!" Rose growled.

"I have a friend I can call. He is, fortunately, also a doctor." Doctor said coldly, pulling out his phone and dialing a number. "Isshin, hi there. We have an accident, a chibi, and an overprotective companion."

Orihime whimpered, clinging to rose's side and sobbing. "There now, its okay. My friend, he's a doctor, and he's calling for help." Rose soothed the little girl. "What's your name?"

"Orihime, Orihime Inoue." Orihime hiccuped. "He's gonna help Sora?"

"He'll try, don't worry." Rose looked up at Doctor.

"My friend Isshin runs a clinic. If he'll still have anything to do with me." Doctor frowned. "I got him pretty angry the last time we met."

"How come?" Orihime whimpered, and still wouldn't let go of Rose.

"I called him an idiot." Doctor sighed.

* * *

"Isshin wasn't happy to see me, but a doctor swears an oath to preserve life. He tried his best with Sora but..."

* * *

"Niiiichaaaaaan!" Orihime wailed, running over to the hospital bed. "Niichan... wake up... please... I'm here!" Orihime clung to his bedside, "niichan..." Shake. "niiichaaaan..."

Sora's heartrate and breathing were dropping. The alarm went off, as Doctor had known it would. Those wounds were fatal. He'd known from the angle and flow of blood.

"Out of the way!" Isshin growled. "No Ichigo stay back. Keep Karin and Yuzu out!"

"NIIICHAN!" Orihime wailed, rushing forwards.

Again, Rose held her back. "Orihime, he has to be able to get to your brother."

"Its not going to do any good." Doctor warned.

Sure enough, it wasn't. Sora was dead, and Orihime was wailing, clinging to Rose and not willing to let go any time soon. "You always bring me the hopeless cases doctor?" Isshin demanded, shoving his stethoscope against Doctor's chest. "Do some good for once in your life. And if you rub Masaki's death under my nose again you'll be out of my clinic and back in your Tardis before you can say 'dahlek.'"

"That's not fair!" Rose protested. "I saved Orihime, I asked him to save Sora. He came because /I/ asked him to. Get mad at me, not him."

Isshin looked like he was going to punch Rose. And that wouldn't have ended very well.

"Dad." Ichigo tugged on his father's arm. "Yuzu and Karin are crying. And you need to call the coroner." He cast a quick look over at Sora. "Please dad not here. I know you don't like him. Just not here. He's still here. Not in front of her brother."

Orihime didn't know what that meant at the time, though later she thought that Ichigo was referring to Sora's ghost, since he could see them ever since he was very young.

They were walking out of the clinic, striding down the street. "See, that's the one person I didn't want to see on our trip to Karakura." Doctor complained. "Isshin has hated me since his wife died."

"What did he do?"

"Isshin is a retired shinigami, he buried his powers, completely. He became a mortal. He couldn't use his zanpakuto anymore, no kidou, no shunpo. He was helpless against a shinigami's natural enemy, the hollow. He couldn't even see them anymore. Then his wife Masaki is killed by one, EATEN, Grand Fisher, the monster of all predators, evaded the shinigami for 50 years. And he mourns over his /darling/ Masaki like a loon when /he/ could have prevented her death if he had /just/ left one power, one way to protect her. It doesn't take much given his physical strength. Did he act serious? Did he sit his son and daughters down and said 'i'm sorry about your mother, I have a lot to tell you and its going to seem completely fantastic? No, he mopes around like a school boy." Doctor replied. "I called him an idiot. We got into an arguement, now he doesn't want to see me again."

"No wonder." Rose growled, "There are times when you're the most brilliant man in the world. And there are times when you're a complete..."

Rose was about to say 'clod' when a blur of long orange hair magnetically attached itself to her hip. "ROOOSEEEE!" Orihime whined. "Stay with meeeee! Don't leave me on my own in that house!" Orihime bawled. The little girl comically pulled on Rose's clothing, wailing hysterically.

Doctor groaned. "See, this is why you need to learn to keep well enough alone."

"Oh shush! Its late, we need a place to sleep anyway." Rose scolded. "And we can't just leave her here."

"Yeah we can, this isn't any of our business." Doctor pointed out.

"You can come to my house." Orihime sniffled. "I won't make trouble for you I promise! Stay just a little bit? I don't wanna be left alone..."

* * *

"I was bitter, but not heartless." Doctor chuckled. "I promised Rose a week, just one week, and then we had to leave." He snorted. "She took care of Orihime like a parent. What I remember most was the night we left."

* * *

_Sometimes..._

"You gotta go Rose?" Orihime sniffled. The rain was pouring down as Doctor and Companion prepared to depart.

_Sometimes, I wish I could be like the rain..._

"Yeah, we have places we need to be." Rose ruffled the girl's orange hair gently. "Don't worry. Something tells me you'll be fine."

_If I were, would I have a way to connect two hearts together?_

Orihime looked about to start blubbering as she followed them to the road. "G'bye Doctor, G'bye Rose... thank you! Thank you so much for taking care of me!" Orihime sobbed, waving goodbye. "I'll get big and strong like you Rose! You just watch me!" Orihime called out. "Then you won't need to protect me again! I promise!"

_If I were, would I have a way to connect two hearts together? The way the rain connects the earth and the sky..._

Rose waved goodbye one last time, a reassuring smile on her face. They passed out of sight, and Orihime heard a sawing noise. It grew louder, then it faded, and then the rain was the only thing left.

_Sometimes, I wish I could be like the rain, if I were, would I have a way to connect two hearts together? The way the rain connects the earth and the sky, even though the two never touch... _

* * *

"That's all there was." Doctor sighed. "I figured Orihime had forgotten."

Yoruichi sighed, looking in the direction of Orihime's bedroom. "Not long after, Orihime met her friend Tatsuki. I guess you could say you took care of her until Tatsuki could take over. Orihime... doesn't forget much. Not for long." Yoruichi chuckled. "Modifying her memory is completely impossible."

"No kidding. Does that have something to do with the fairies that were darting around her head?"

"Yep, she can block anything, heal anything and cut anything. Although her attack abilities aren't very strong. She's not the violent sort. Because of that she doesn't have very much attack power." Yoruichi reached for the cupboard to find another cup of tea. "They say that her power tresspasses on the territory of the gods." Yoruichi frowns. "By rewinding the clock. Completely."

"How, how does one girl..."

"Her power 'denies' events." Explained Soi Fong. "It was hard for me to wrap my head around too. Her healing spell doesn't heal, it rewinds the body of the person she's trying to heal. Back to before they were injured. Technically they were never injured in the first place. It fixes everything, not just people. Walls, objects, weapons, tools, ANYTHING that's broken. Its almost scary."

"With a power that strong, she couldn't save the civillians in town from the dahleks. Aizen kidnapped her by threatening to kill her friends. Both times, for all her strength she couldn't save people who needed her." Yoruichi sighed. "Doctor. Urahara, Tessai and I are going on a mission tomorrow. Do you think you could take care of her again?"

"I can't just drop everything to stay behind and..."

"I didn't suggest you stay put did it?" Yoruichi arched her eyebrow. "Have your drink with Shunsui, then take Orihime with you doctor? please?"

"I shouldn't I mean... i'm not some babysi... WHY are you glaring at me?"

Soi Fong was glaring daggers at the Doctor. "Lady Yoruichi made a request. Politely." Soi Fong slowly started to draw her zanpakuto. "You're not going to accuse her of asking you to /babysit/ a friend of Lady Yoruichi /are you/?"

Yoruichi grinned evilly. "Soi Fong, don't worry about it. The doctor is more polite than that." Yoruichi soothed her former pupil and smiled pointedly at Doctor. "Don't throw a fit, Doctor doesn't like having guns or zanpakuto pointed at him."

Doctor frowned. "If she wants to come with me, I guess it wouldn't hurt. I saw her tonight... she seemed in so much pain." He sighed. "Just... don't point that... thing at me. You shinigami with your swords give me a heart attack even worse than when UNIT shows up in uniform and sidearm." Doctor sighed. "Good luck in... wherever..."

* * *

Byakuya was not in a good mood. He was sitting by Ichigo's bed, Harkness on the other side of it. He'd been served coffee instead of his favorite Sencha tea. (6)

Byakuya hated coffee.

Ianto had made it for him.

He was a guest, offered food and drink.

Byakuya hated coffee.

He /was/ a guest.

But it was COFFEE. Drowned in milk and sugar and whipped cream and sprinkles, yes sprinkles.

It was NAUSEATING just to look at.

He /was/ a guest.

Guests had manners.

Manners meant that he had to drink what he was served and not complain.

Byakuya groaned and gulped at the offered mug. The expressions that crossed his face when he drank began with a gag, then became a pucker, which became a deer in headlights expression and when he swallowed the mouthful, a huge grin crossed his face as sugar and caffine set in.

"I should have warned you, its more potent than starbucks."

"Look, Harkness-taichou..."

"Jack will do. Just Jack."

"Alright /Jack./ I give you the courtesy due your rank, but I honestly believe that your people will be completely unable to defend yourselves against Hollows. Very few humans can kill even one /ordinary/ hollow. And the ones that Aizen will be sending here could raze this entire town to the ground. I respect your fighting spirit. But no mortal was meant to take on that duty. I have been captain of the sixth for over 500 years. No child of the living world can ever hope to fight on that level. You're young, humans never live as long as we, you should enjoy that youth before its snapped from you. The world is exceedingly cruel in how it treats young men and women with stars in their eyes." (7)

"With all respect Byakuya," Harkness snickered. "I'm much older than I appear."

Byakuya took a moment to process this. "You are, I assume, immortal?"

"Completely. Rukia noticed right off. I can't die. I've been shot, burned, stabbed, electrocuted, blasted by death rays, buried alive, drowned. I always come right back. Its been that way for over a hundred years."

"Then you are young by our standards, but not as young as I first believed." Byakuya frowned. "may I?" He held out a hand, setting down his coffee and approaching the captain.

"Go ahead." Jack blinked in surprise.

Byakuya paused in front of him. Suddenly...

Ribbons whirled, waving and twirling around them both. Jack cringed, waiting for...

The gentle tug on his body brought his focus on Byakuya. The shinigami placed a hand on his head, "this will only take a moment."

"What are they?"

"Spirit ribbons, each one represents the spiritual pressure of someone in the area. The red ones are shinigami, but the others..." Byakuya pointed one by one. "Gwen, Ianto, Owen, Toshiko." He indicated the four white ribbons waving through the ether. "It is a useful technique for locating and checking spiritual pressure. And this one..." The tug repeated itself. "You." Byakuya pressed his hand to Jack's chest. "I see, still human. From what I can see, your chain of fate is... frozen... powerfully and unmovably attached to your body. As long as the chain of fate remains attached to the body, no, you most certainly can't die."

The ribbons withdrew and the world cleared. They were back at Ichigo's bedside. "Are you still willing to help?" Jack asked quietly.

"I haven't decided yet." Byakuya said calmly. He sat down and sipped the coffee (vile stuff!) again. "I admit that I am... curious. You are the age Hitsugaya taichou was when he first took the jacket. I will... give you the courtesy that your rank commands. Beyond that I cannot promise you."

Byakuya was watching Ichigo worriedly. "Rukia was... accurate about what the hollow said?"

"Down to the letter."

"Thank you for helping him." Byakuya said, with the stiffness of someone who was having difficulty speaking in the sitation.

"Youre not used to dealing with people are you?" Jack asked. "You have the look of somebody who doesn't know what to say or how to react to the situation he's in."

"In the Soul Society I am an aristocrat." Byakuya explained. "Other shinigami walk on eggshells around me, simply because they came from the Rukon and I born to a noble family. For a long time it didn't bother me, it was only when I met Ichigo did I begin to realize that this wasn't necessarily a good path to follow, or a good way to lead a division." Byakuya drank more of the coffee, the beverage made him grimace.

"Too strong for you?" Jack asked.

"No that's not it its..." Byakuya took another gulp. "I do not with to impugne your hospitality, in the Soul Society coffee is a luxury. Almost everyone drinks tea. It is a straightforwards drink, a drop of honey, a dash of spice, a spoon of sugar, is all that it needs. Rich coffee drinks like this are... definately too strong. The flavor is... capricious, it does not resemble anything that I have before or since tasted. I am not sure whether to find it delicious in its complexity or nauseating for the same reason." Byakuya drank another swallow. "I do not wish to... insult... your hospitality." Byakuya said awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it, if you like I can tell Ianto to leave yours simple." Jack offered.

"No, no its fine." Byakuya said with a faint, awkward smile.

"Maybe we should take you out sometime." Jack offered. "I'm sure it would help you learn to fit in better."

"I want to make sure Ichigo is alright first." What could Byakuya say? I don't want to go out, I'd feel stupid? Unlike a lot of shinigami who treated the living world as a vacation, endlessly full of wonder and magic, Byakuya felt extremely shy in the world of the living. He enjoyed intellectual attractions, museums, libraries, art galleries, public gardens, places where thought became beauty. Where words were irrelevant.

"Alright, well don't stay here the whole time will you?" Jack stood. "I have work to do elsewhere in the hub, if you need help, give me a shout."

"Certainly." Byakuya sat back, eyeing the cup of coffee abandoned on the bedside. Then he picked the mug up and finished the coffee in a few gulps. "Not bad, capricious makes for a nice change."

Ichigo slept soundly, and the inner world in which Zangetsu and Ogichi slept poured with rain.

* * *

1. A little bit about Rose and the Dahleks, and some Doctor Who information for Bleachofiles who haven't seen Doctor Who. When the Doctor Who series was first remade in Great Brittain the new companion was a girl in her early twenties named Rose Tyler (Billie Piper.) Rose is the only Companion ever able to get information out of the Dahleks, they never seemed to care what she hears and she picked up how to talk to them by the time she left the cast in "Doomsday". This is how she first met one.

The first time Rose met a dahlek, she didn't know to be frightened of them. They are, however, extremely violent, having attempted to take over the world several times and causing the extinction (or near extinction) of the Timelords. They were created by an evil general named Darvos, who was trying to make the perfect killing machine. In their limited view all creatures different from they are inferior and must be eradicated (Their familiar battlecry is "Exterminate!") They are exceedingly arrogant and are typically not very compassionate or merciful. I'm going to have one appear in a couple of chapters so that Bleach fans may see for themselves.

The Doctor has a very pronounced hatred of them. Rose, in her innocence, had no idea what the strange machine chained to the cell she found it in was, or that it was dangerous. The first dahlek she met had been isolated, chained up and tortured by a concieted billionaire collector of alien technology. It asked if Rose was frightened of it. Her answer was no. A few seconds later it used her DNA to heal itself and went on a rampage in a desperate bid to escape its captors. It followed Rose, trying to find her, and then asked for her by name when it was cornered. Unfortunately Rose's human DNA fooled with its genetic programming to kill anything and everything that it could. The lone dahlek was terrified and grief stricken and suicidal. Doctor wanted to kill it, Rose didn't. Then something odd happened... the Dahlek moved into sunshine coming in from a hole in the roof and opened its casing, revealing a terrified little creature with one eye and tentacles. The true face of a dahlek.

In the end it asked Rose if she was still scared of it, when her answer was still no, it said that it was glad. Then it ordered her to tell it to die, repeatedly. Rose couldn't, until Doctor explained that the Dahlek was in pain. They typically were incompatible with human DNA, so while the Dahlek had used her to heal itself, it was dying anyway. Rose ordered it to die, the Dahlek rose in the air, formed a shield to contain the blast and exploded. End story about Rose and first Dahlek.

A little on the creatures called Cybermen. Cybermen are to Doctor Who what the Borg are to Startrek, except they came first! (Yes, its true, they were assimilating the unwary long before our borgie friends!) The Cybermen started as humans from another dimension who, in response to a near cataclysmic global disaster began to convert their bodies slowly to cybernetics. The problem came when they went overboard and something went wrong with their computer! Their numbers dwindled and dwindled because they had gotten rid of their reproductive organs in the process. The logical conclusion? Recruitment! From that day on they existed for one purpose, convert humans to other Cybermen. They have since tried several times to 'upgrade' earth's people and thanks to the Doctor, failed. They are predictable and weak on their own, a shinigami could slice them to ribbons very quickly. The problem is that they always /hide, then when they've assimilated enough people they finally make their attack, and by that point its way, way too late.

In companion series 'Torchwood' a half upgraded human named Lisa (Ianto's ex girlfriend), had been frozen midway through the process. When her vitals were stablized the still half human proved to be under the influence of the Cybermen mind and went on a rampage. She 'stole' a human female body to try and change back into a human, at which point Ianto shot her. The Cybermen will be the main badguys in a Doctor Who special airing this Christmas, in which a new class of Cyberman, a 'Cybershade' will make its appearance.

Now, back to when Rose was pulled into an alternate dimension. It was a two part season finale in which Cybermen and Dahleks slowly began appearing on Earth. When the Cybermen attempted to cross between their dimension and ours they started appearing in a whispy half formed appearance and were mistaken for ghosts. Rose hadn't met one before, and thought that the Dahleks were causing it. When four Dahleks later made their appearance Rose asked the Dahleks about the 'ghosts' appearing elsewhere. The Dahleks derisively said that they had been mistaken for the "Primative superstition identified as ghosts" and that they were not responsible for the phenomena, instead derisively informing Rose of her mistake. From this, its very certain that the Dahleks do not have a concrete knowledge of spiritual beings.

The episode referred to by this note was a two part called "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End" If you placed the characters and species of Bleach into the same battle, a shinigami would likely take a dahlek completely by surprise. And hollows would very likely slaughter them. They might have figured out which items the shinigami used to eject from their gigai, or the charms Uryu uses to channel his quincy powers or Orihime's hairpins. But they would not have identified the shinigami as spirits.

2. For Bleach fans who haven't seen Doctor Who or are just becoming interested in the series, the Doctor is an alien species called a "Timelord." While they look the same as a human, they have several major differences in anatomy. Timelords have two hearts, they can sense the presence of another timelord, they have increased intelligence and an uncanny attunement to the passage of time. For example if something has gone wrong in the timeline, or is about to go wrong, Doctor would be able to sense it. But the main difference is that if mortally wounded they "Regenerate" allowing them near immortality and an enormous flexibility as a species. Orihime is referring to the doctor's 9th incarnation, played by Christopher Eccleston. The current incarnation, the 10th Doctor is played by David Tennant (played Bartie Crouch junior in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!!) More than any of the previous "Doctors" Tennant is the most popular, adding an incredible amount of zest la vive to the series.

For the 9th Doctor (whom Orihime met first) en./wiki/NinthDoctor

For the 10th Doctor (who is the current doctor in the fanfic) en./wiki/TenthDoctor

3. Momo is the obvious incapacitation. However, even if it happened 50 years prior to the main bleach timeline, Aizen /did/ create the hollow that was responsible for Kaien Shiba's death. Ergo Kaien is also one of Aizen's victims.

4. Its an unspoken taboo. Doctor tries his darndest hardest to keep from becoming romantically attached to his companions. He fell deeply in love with Rose, who was trapped in an alternate universe before he could admit it and have his storybook ending. Harkness is bisexual (Yes, canonically girls he /is/ a yaoi boy!), and has a huge crush on Doctor. For the most part, however, Doctor is not interested in Jack. He has romantically not been interested in anyone since he lost Rose. Typically the Doctor tries to hold himself apart from his companions, kind of a 'if I don't get attached to them it won't hurt me when they leave/die' sort of thing.

5. Rose's father died in a hit and run when she was about the same age Ichigo lost his mother. Doctor is referring to the episode "Father's Day" in which she went back in time to watch his death, claiming that she didn't remember him very well, and wanted him to die seeing his daughter. Rose, however, could not resist temptation and prevented his death, causing an alternate universe and a rift in the fabric of space/time.

6. Ianto is Jack's boyfriend (though they are not exclusive, Ianto lets Jack fool around on the side), a former member of Torchwood's London "HUB", he left after Torchwood London was destroyed in the same incident that resulted in Rose being trapped in the alternate dimension. Ianto is known far and wide for his coffee recipes, jokingly referred to as "miracle coffee" it is a brew more potent than the best Starbucks has on tap. Ianto can make everything from a shot of expresso to the most sinful cappachino drink you will ever experience in your lifetime. Byakuya is reluctant to drink it because coffee is a 'western drink' not typically found in the Soul Society. On its own coffee is bitter, requiring cream and sugar or milk to make it taste more mild. Japanese cooking of the Fuedal Era is typically very simplistic, so Byakuya will likely dislike coffee in any form. Ianto's brew would likely be considered 'overkill' to him. However, Byakuya is too polite to turn down food or drink simply because he dislikes it. Hence Jack's confusion.

7. Byakuya is misunderstanding Jack's role as leader. Viewing Torchwood 3 as a "Division", he is treating Jack as one would a fellow shinigami captain. Jack Harkness 'cannot die' his body simply repairs itself and he revives. I tried to think of the most "Bleach" explanation for this ability, which was that his chain of fate 'cannot be broken' hence his spirit remains attached to his body and eventually is pulled back in. Jack is, in calender time, over 100 years old. However, in the finale of season two "Exit Wounds" He is buried alive in the year 54 AD by his evil little brother Grey and his sworn enemy and ex boyfriend John Hartt and dies/revives for over 2000 years underground. John was being held prisoner, a bomb and detonator literally welded to his skin to coerce him into helping Grey, buried a tracker ring with him, hoping that Jack would be found in the present day and come back to rescue him with the rest of Jack's team. Jack is found by his Torchwood allies from earth in the late 19teens and early 1920's and placed in Cryogenic sleep, set to go off approximately three hours after he disappeared into 54 AD. So technically he is older than Yamamoto (who is 1000 years old), however, as he was only semiconscious/alive for that time, he counts himself as 100 rather than 2100.

At this point a note should also be made about Torchwood's medical officer, Owen Harper. Owen is rather cynical, and definately a playboy (of the straight variety, sadly). More Moody than most, he is killed in the Episode "Reset" in season two and revived in the following episode "Dead Man Walking." However, he is a living corpse. His body does not heal if damaged, so while he is useful for sneaking in to places with heat triggered security systems, like in the episode "A day in the death" immediately after "Dead man walking", or for shock purposes, he is physically frail. In otherwords, he is "Hollow feed." However some creatures in Torchwood are frightened of him, a common menace known as Weevils are case in point. They flee when Owen approaches them, immediately flying into a defensive posture and attempting to escape. This leads Owen to irritatedly refer to himself as "King of the Weevils."

* * *

**For Bleach fans who have not seen Doctor Who, a picture (several actually) worth a thousand words...**

The Torchwood team from left to right and their roles in the team. www(dot)sliceofscifi(dot)com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/torchwood9235(dot)jpg

Jack Harkness, Leader, Ianto Jones (backrow) general support, Toshiko Sato (front row) technology officer, Owen Harper (backrow) medical officer, Gwen Cooper (front row) second in command and police liason.

The Companions and Doctor

left to right, 9th Doctor Rose Tyler and Jack Harkness

www(dot)fpi-online(dot)co(dot)uk/forbidde/acatalog/D2004(dot)jpg

10th Doctor and Donna Noble

www(dot)handbag(dot)com/?moduleimages&funcdisplay&fileId71972

Sarah Jane and charges

From left to Right Maria, Sarah Jane Smith, Clyde, and Luke Smith (Sarah Jane's adopted son)

Not shown, familiar K-9 and AI computer Mister Smith

images(dot)forbiddenplanet(dot)com/image/detail/1548952(dot)jpg

Martha and 10th Doctor standing by the TARDIS (stands for, Time and Relative Dimensions In Space.) The Tardis is much larger on the inside, its resemblance to an old fashioned police box is simply to cameouflauge it from the curious. It has a key, so Doctor can keep the nosy out. When it enters a timeperiod or planet it makes a sawing noise, very distinctive, that warns people of its appearance. The same sound accompanies its leaving.

www(dot)starstore(dot)com/acatalog/DoctorMartha(dot)jpg

A Dalek (I tend to misspell them Dahlek) the design has remained unchanged through the entire series, from the 1960's onward.

www(dot)pricerighthome(dot)com/images/uploads/drwhoposterPP30355(dot)jpg


	3. Exterminate! Dahlek Hollows in Easling!

Notes: Heya guys, any heartsbond fans that are reading this. I'm working on chapter 48. But I'm trying to study Szayel's fighting style using the recent dattebayo fansubs. And I'm about 20 episodes behind Naruto Shippuden. Probably more.

* * *

_A hollow's keen pierced the night near Easling. A single wolf's howl, a glimmering pale blue eye lit malevolently. The wolflike hollow was massive, a single word growled from the shadows. "Exterminate......"_

Luke was on his own for an afternoon. He was bored, and a little disappointed. He and Clyde were hoping to get on their school's football team. (1) But Maria was visiting relatives and Clyde had detention and this park was one of his favorite places to be when he was bored. Just sit on one of the swings and watch the world go by.

There was a rumble from the ground. _Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom._ Footsteps? Then the screams tore the air. Luke's head whipped around. "What is it? Oh god what is it?" Luke squinted. Pawprints were appearing on the ground. Just appearing. They were headed on a beeline through the park. Luke squinted, harder and harder and then suddenly it was there. The creature collided with him, roared and whirled. Luke darted under the slide and peered out, only to jerk his head back under as a pair of massive wolf jaws snapped at where he'd been a moment earlier. "What the hell......?" He pulled further and further back under the doubious shelter of the playground equipment.

"Feeeeeeeeeeed.........." The slide was pried up from the ground, giving Luke a VERY good view of the monster who had attacked the park. It had a huge mottled grey body, paws as massive as a bicycle wheel. It was the size of a small truck and covered with oily fur that kinda..... glistened, rather metallic like. It had very pale blue, luminous eyes, and as they focused on Luke they glowed malevolently. And the mask, and two long massive tails themselves the length of a sportscar swung behind it like a pair of whips, made it resemble a big, shaggy, masked wolf of incredible size. It leaned down and sniffed Luke delicately, its single eye glimmering at him. Its fangs glistened, pure steel, and drool was dripping from its massive maw.

"Feeeeeed." The hollow growled. "I am.... huuungry. I must /feeeeed/." Its inflection was very odd, even for a monster. It tended to draw out verbs too. Had Luke known anything at all about hollows, which he didn't, he would have known that it wasn't speaking like a normal hollow. And then it roared a word that would have terrified his mother. "EXTEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRMINAAAAAAAAATEEEEEEE!" SNAP! Luke screamed as the jaws missed him by an inch. The single eye glowed a malevolent pale blue, deep deep red light began to gather in its jaws. Another yell and Luke hit the dirt. The blast of red light ploughed through the playground, tearing up the nearby jungle gym and blasting several trees down before it disappated.

Luke knew better than to stick around when a monster started blowing things up, the boy started pelting off towards home in a panic. Luke wasn't in good shape, but he could run. The hollow was snapping at his heals, the boy screaming at the top of his lungs. A tail swung his feet out from under him. "I am...... huuuungry! I must feeeeeeeed!" Luke fell to the ground, stunned. A paw the size of a dumptruck tire swung down ready to crush him, the boy ducked, cowering.

A blur of bronze skin and purple hair swept the boy up. At the same time he heard a strange sound behind him, like a firework going off. "Are are, you are quite the character aren't you?" Luke caught a flash of a man with blonde hair, wearing a green and white hat and carrying a cane. Then his rescuer flung him onto her back. "For something so brutal and vicious, so without refinement and remorse, you are certainly elegant."

Luke covered his head, trying to protect himself from the monster. "Its alright." A woman's voice said warmly. "You can open your eyes little one." Luke blinked, uncovering his head and looking up at the woman who had rescued him.

She had long flowing purple hair, skin bronzed from the sun. She was wearing orange and black with white shoulderpads, shinguards and boots. "My name is Yoruichi, its alright, you're safe. But I think I should take you home. That thing...... was not something a human was meant to see."

"You're an alien then." Luke was seriously surprised as the woman swung him up onto her back and kept running.

"I'm a shinigami, big difference. Shinigami are of Earth, not any land away from it. Though some of my fellow shinigami always seemed to be out of this world. I wonder with Gin." Yoruichi was moving faster than any one or thing Luke had ever seen. And she had to be strong carrying him on her back like that. "Where's your house? What's your name?"

"Luke, Luke Smith..... this way, to the East."

"Alright." Yoruichi turned towards the east. "I'm from Japan, not Great Brittain, so you'll have to show me the way."

"Right." Luke gulped. "What will I tell my mother? I'm covered in dirt and sand."

"Does your mother have experience with the supernatural?" Yoruichi asked, a half smile curling her face.

"Yes."

Yoruichi almost tripped. That wasn't an answer you heard every day. "Alright, I'll talk to her. Which way?" A small smile curled her face. **If there's a scientist near here like Kisuke, we might be able to get more information about our surroundings. I forgot, each village has its priestess. **

"Left, up here." Luke pointed. "Slow down, I'm gonna be sick."

"Sorry, they call me the Goddess of Flash for a reason. Fastest shinigami ever." Yoruichi winked. "Here?"

"YES HERE! Turn here!"

Sarah Jane had been working in the garden, carefully weeding the flowerbeds, and almost fell over when Yoruichi landed. The shihouin skidded in a fashion a baseball player would have envied. It tore ruts in the lawn, unfortunately. "Here. I'm sorry about the rough ride. That thing looked nasty even for a hollow. You aren't hurt?" Yoruichi asked as she let Luke down.

"LUKE!" Sarah Jane ran over, the dirt, skinned knees and sand alarmed the mother in her. "What on Earth happened to you????"

"Mum, there was this monster, and it was chasing me, and I tripped and it was gonna smash me and then she came and scooped me up and out of the way."

"It was a hollow, a fallen soul. My friend Kisuke and I were tracking it." Yoruichi explained. "My friends will find me again when they need me, Miss......"

"Smith, Sarah Jane Smith. Thank you for saving my son, please come inside." Sarah Jane looked horrified, both at Luke's dirty and scraped up appearance, and at Yoruichi's sudden appearance in her garden. "How on Earth did you move so fast? It was like you weren't there one moment and plowing through my front yard the next."

"its called Shunpo." Yoruichi followed the former companion into the house. "The name means 'flash steps.' The creature that attacked him was called a hollow. That one was unusual, Kisuke and I were trying to study it." Yoruichi told her. "My name is Yoruichi Shihouin. I'm a shinigami, I retired from the Stealth Force, my friends Kisuke and Tessai retired from their posts too. Kisuke runs a shop, deals in supernatural goods." Yoruichi explained. "I was suprised, your son Luke said you have experience in the supernatural?"

"Yes, I study aliens." Sarah Jane replied. "Though occasionally something that was already on Earth comes my way." She said as she attempted to collect her wits. Sarah Jane wiped the dirt off her hands on a towel, then headed for the living room.

"Ah, you can help me then. The Dahlek invasion a few months back, do you have any data from that?"

"too much I'm afraid, what do you want with it?" Sarah Jane asked, "It couldn't be connected to your hollow, it couldn't be."

"Maybe I should tell you what happened in Japan when the Dahleks stole Earth. My fellow shinigami rose in furious revolt. Since Dahleks have no concept of an afterlife, and we shinigami are gods of death, or goddesses as the case may be, they were especially confused when we defended our home. But if we were valient, the hollows native to the area were both greedy and fearless. They tore through the dahlek casings like a hot knife through butter and ate them like a seagull with a clam."

"But that's good. The dahleks are evil." Sarah Jane protested. "They got what they........"

Yoruichi shook her head. "Sarah Jane, /nobody/ deserves being eaten by a hollow." Yoruichi interrupted. "Hollows are fallen souls who have returned to feast on living ones. If you are /eaten/ by a hollow, then you become a hollow. We heard rumors, all over, of massive, wolf shaped hollows. Each identical, with the same attack techniques, the same traits even the same inflection when speaking. Rumors began to fly, but every time Kisuke and I came close to finding and studying one of these wolf like hollows, one of the people I hate most in the world got there first."

"Oh dear, that doesn't sound like it bodes well."

"It doesn't. His name was Aizen. And just prior to the invasion, some of our...... local allies, had gone off to battle. Shinigami exist in a realm known as Soul Society, and hollows exist in a realm known as Hueco Mundo. Aizen was once one of our strongest people, but he turned traitor and formed an alliance with some of the strongest hollows alive, the Arrancar and their generals the Espada. He had discovered that a girl named Orihime, she's a very strong psychic, had a healing ability more advanced than any shinigami in history. Instead of healing by conventional means, closing wounds and accelerating healing, her powers physically wind back the clock, an ability that violates the very laws of time and space. Aizen wanted her abilities on his side, and he kidnapped her for his own uses.

"Yamamoto, the shinigami commander, branded Orihime a traitor. But her friends rose in revolt, chasing Aizen into Hueco Mundo. They stormed Aizen's fortress, but were nearly overwhelmed. Kisuke had planned for this, convincing the other shinigami to follow into Hueco Mundo. When the dust settled, Aizen's fortress was a wreck, having sustained over 50 percent damage. And of his ten generals, there were only 6 left. The damage was devestating. Aizen would have picked up the pieces no matter what we did. But then, the Dahleks came. Aizen's henchmen Gin and Tousen witnessed the invasion, and after it was over they took whatever wreckage was left and started studying it."

"And you think some of the dahleks from the invasion were turned into hollows? But I've never seen any hollows around here."

"Most humans aren't aware of hollows. Or of shinigami. And typically if a human finds out about us, we modify their memory. Even if you'd seen us, you wouldn't remember it. Any dahlek hollows we chase in Japan, are gone by the time we get to them. Kisuke thought that if we got as far away from Japan as we could, we might be able to find a few and try to find out what Aizen wants with them. We don't have much time either, the Espada have been sighted in Cardiff. With any luck, we'll be able to catch Aizen in the act."

"What about this Orihime girl?" Luke asked. "What happened to her."

"Oh, Orihime? She's gone off training with a friend. She'll be alright, he's a Doctor, he's very capable." Yoruichi smiled smugly. "Aizen will never get her while she's with him. He'd have to chase them across creation."

Sarah Jane's jaw dropped. "This doctor wouldn't happen to be a timelord would he?"

"You know of the timelords!"

"I traveled with the Doctor. A long time ago." Sarah Jane said with a reminiscent smile on her face. "Taught me everything I know."

Yoruichi chuckled. "Ages and ages ago, the Timelords were allies with the Shinigami. Doctor was looking for a shinigami captain, Shunsui Kyouraku. Wanted a drink. Found Orihime instead. That girl, it will do her good traveling with a timelord. Orihime is, for all her powers, very shy, very kindhearted. Sometimes too much so for her own good."

"I see, well the Doctor has a way with people. She won't necessairly be stronger on the other end, but she will be better. As for your Dahlek hollows, when your friends catch up with you I'll introduce you to my computer, Mister Smith. I'm not sure if you can use any of the data I've collected, but you're welcome to it."

"Arigato Sarah-san, I appreciate it." Yoruichi grinned. "Kisuke should be....."

There was a knock at the door. When Sarah Jane answered it, there was a blonde man wearing geta and a green and white hat, green and black robes, and a plain wooden cane. "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to have seen a stray cat would you?" Kisuke asked. "Black fur, answers to Yoruichi?"

"Its alright Kisuke, this is Sarah Jane. We lucked out, we rescued the son of the only woman in town who studies the supernatural." Yoruichi chuckled. "Is Tessai there?"

"Right here." The odd looking male shinigami followed Kisuke in.

Sarah Jane was a little overwhelmed, a shinigami had just rescued her son from a hitherto unknown danger and run all the way across town with him on her back. And a pair of this shinigami's friends had just arrived. "Then we are truely lucky. I am Kisuke ma'dam, Kisuke Urahara, and this is my assistant Tessai and my..... more beautiful assistant and part time pet cat Yoruichi."

Yoruichi laughed, "You said you wanted to introduce us to a 'mister smith?'" Yoruichi's grin at the former Companion was reassuring.

"Yes, yes of course. Let me make some tea."

* * *

The alarm clock in Orihime's room went off, the radio blaring and the girl jumped eagerly out of bed. Today was the day she got to go off with Doctor. He'd spent the last three days meeting with Kyouraku and Ukitake over super sekrit Timelord and Shinigami business! And now it was /time/ to go!

She bolted out of bed, and darted into the bathroom ahead of Soi Fong. The captain blinked blearily as she heard water running and Orihime singing happily for the first time in months.

_"Ah, pretending to be happy is but a sad distraction I rush to give you my silent warning - a gentle squeeze of your hand As I glance at the path i've walked i've endured, companionless My face is overwhelmed with a familiar aroma And the dust keeps piling up"_

Doctor came out of the guest room, squinting bearily. "its 5 am. What's she doing bathing that early?"

"She's excited to be going."

"I'm not leaving for another five hours."

"You gave her hope Doctor, and that's a wakeup call more potent than any form of caffine." Soi Fong said with a warm smile. "that's the first time I've heard her that happy since she came home from Hueco Mundo. What's wrong? Do you have a hangover?"

"I need to remember that Shunsui can out drink a bull elephant." Doctor sighed, rubbing his head.

"I have something that will take care of that. Come on." Soi Fong looked over her shoulder.

Orihime was still singing when she swung down the stairs, happy as a lark.

_I collapse outside of town, landing softly My legs are weary of their endless journey And fleeting memories run through my head I see the same profile, hear the same words over and over Like the girl who asked me "isn't life so sad when all you do is live?"_

Orihime dropped her travel bag by the kitchen door, the chorus leaving her lips like the notes of a bird singing and sending Shuno dancing through the kitchen for the cupboards.

_You're still careless, young and helpless Disappearing into a hollow void_

_Now, having witnessed sadness you should never have seen Crying tears that should have remained dry_

_We may not be tough enough to live on truth alone But you know, we don't need to be (2)_

Orihime said with a huge grin. "Doctor when do we leave?" She was darting around the kitchen fixing breakfast. In the end she settled on toast, but put sweet bean jam, molassas and......... crunchy wasabi peas?

Doctor almost choked when he saw what Orihime was eating. "Not until 10. Orihime are you alright? That..... food..... its disgusting!"

"Really? It tastes good!" Orihime chomped on a slice and gulped. "See? The wasabi peas add a zing!" Orihime said cheerfully.

Doctor turned slightly green. "No thanks, i'll just eat normal toast." He said, inching away from Orihime.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no, I just didn't think you'd have such...... UNIQUE taste in food." Doctor told her. He watched as Orihime chowed down on her toast, seemingly clueless about the unusual tastes she preferred.

"Trust me, this is tame compared to some of the things I've seen her eat." Soi Fong laughed.

The meal was pleasant, and Orihime kept looking over at the clock. Doctor could tell she was eager to get moving. "Orihime. Why don't we get going early?"

"OH yes certainly!" Orihime chirped, "As soon as we cl......"

"I'll clean." Soi Fong told Orihime. "Go train with Doctor."

"YAY! Thank you!" Orihime squeezed Soi Fong in a hug and reached for her backpack.

Orihime followed Doctor back to the Tardis, a huge grin on her face the entire way. "Sugooooooi! The Tardis you travel with Rose in is a box? It looks awefully cramped! I'll bet things got really awkward inside it!"

Doctor blushed, then beamed. "ah ah ah. look inside."

"SUGOOOOOOOOOI!" Orihime squealed as she went inside the Tardis for the first time. "Its amazing! Its all warm and glowy! Oooooh, and she's humming too!" Orihime's eyes sparkled. "Shuno and Ayame like it! So does Tsubaki!" Orihime squealed happily. "It makes them happy when they're in here." Orihime raised her face to the cieling of the tardis, eyes closed with a smile on her face.

Doctor watched the girl dart all over the control room, inspecting this or that wheel or gear, a huge grin on her face. **She doesn't realize it, but she's already a low level psychic. Still... I didn't think she'd be able to hear the Tardis. To her its as faint as a summertime zephyr, but she senses the ship's emotions. Well old girl, what do you think? Do you approve? **

As the Tardis began to fade out of existance, the Shun Shun Rikka flew to the cieling, landing on some of the pipes. Orihime heard them laughing above the rattle of the Tardis' systems. Orihime thought, _Hey Rose, if I were the rain, would I have a way to connect two hearts together. The way the rain does the earth and sky, even though the two never touch?_

_

* * *

_

1. Remember that in the UK "soccer" is called "football" so they mean "soccer" and not "American football"

2. Velonica by Aquatimez.


End file.
